Fr. Sean Breen died in the early hours of Thursday 15th January 2009. A native of Cavan he was ordained in 1962 and served in many postings, Rathdrum, Ballymun, Sandyford, Navan Road, Templeogue , Eadestown before moving to Ballymore He was a colorful, larger than life character. My two images of him are of the old style priest ministering to his flock and of the caricature in the book about racing personalities which captured his character so well. He had been ill for a time before Christmas but still managed to fulfill a very onerous festive schedule. He was known throughout the length and breadth of Ireland as “ The Racing Priest” and it sat well with him. At his local tracks, the Curragh, Naas and of course Punchestown he held court with king and commoner alike. He was the (un) official chaplain to Galway Races and loved the whole festival and the management at the track. He had considerable success as an owner with “One Won One” and more recently “Show Blessed” who won on five occasions and as part of the Gaeltacht Gang syndicates “Raise your Heart” who last won in Punchestown last October, a win which gave him, and those of us who had a few quid on it, particular pleasure. He also had the dubious distinction of having a horse named after him in “The Breener”. He was a great supporter of Sunderland, though Niall Quinn, and celebrated whenever the Black Cats triumphed. When he moved to Ballymore from himself and his good pal Greg Lawler put up a lot of mileage around Ireland. He made good provision for the future of the parish, establishing a Parish Board of Management to help deal with whatever the future holds for the church in Ballymore.
I will miss his company, his humour and his general sense of fun.
Ballymore is a poorer place this morning.
Go n-eiri an bothar leat.
TR.
Sunday, March 1, 2009
Saturday, December 27, 2008
Tims Diary.
Sport first and what about Kauto Star’s fall in November. One cannot help to wonder if one Ruby Walsh was in the saddle things might have been different. The same happening again on Big Bucks the following week meant that Sam was sidestepped and replaced by AP for Master Minded at Sandown. Rough Justice.
Kildare County bit the dust with very little style against Mervue United at Galway and Station Road last month, a sad end ? to a very promising outfit. And John Gill had to see his job advertised by Dundalk while still trying to win the First Division. Giller will be back, don’t doubt it, you can’t keep a good man down.
(Photo)
My sporting experience this month was getting chinned by Bernard Dunne at The Keith Duffy Masquerade Ball. All I did was ask for one of his Hunky Dory’s. The highlight was a live intimate performance by Boyzone, in the chapel of the Royal Hospital in Kilmainham.
Our Photographer extrodinaire, Chris asks me to mention the Kildare County Council’s Photo Competition “Autumn in Kildare” details and entry forms from the Environmnet section 045 980200 or email environ@kildarecoco.ie
Blessington Union of Parishes
21st December Carol Service & Morning Prayer 10 am. Ballymore
24th December Christmas Eve. United Service of Holy Communion Ballymore 11 pm.
25th December Christmas Day. Holy Communion in Blessington at 11.15 & Cloughlea at 10.
28th December United Service of carols in Blessington at 11.15 am. (No other services this Sunday)
On behalf of the Rector and the parishioners we would like to thank all who have supported us throughout the year. We wish you all a Happy and a Holy Christmas and a Peaceful New Year.
Church of the Immaculate Conception
Ballymore Eustace
Christmas Ceremonies 2008.
Monday Dec. 22nd
Penitential Service in Preparation for Christmas 8 pm.
Wednesday Dec. 24th
Vigil Mass for the birth of Our Lord Jesus Christ 9 pm.
Thursday December 25th
Masses for the birth of Our Lord Jesus Christ
10 and 11.30
Confessions. Wednesday Dec.24th. Christmas Eve
10 - 12. 3 – 4. 6.30 – 8.30
Fr. Sean wishes everyone a Happy and Holy Christmas
We have come to the end of what has been a very tough year for Ireland and the world in terms of finance. It was one of the most ill thought out budgets that saw an unprecedented backlash against the current Fianna Fail led government. It didn’t get any better for them with the recent pork crisis. Interestingly though, even though beef was also found to be contaminated there was no withdrawal in the same measure as the pig meat. I think I will be joined by more and more in the vegetarian ranks, not because of the crisis but because of all the news footage of those cut little spotty bonamhs that featured on every bulletin.
Elsewhere you will see a presentation from Angie on behalf of the Bugle to the Senior Citizen’s committee. This was made possible by all the advertisers and readers throughout the year. Thank you all.
It was Ten Years ago this Christmas..
Had a farewell to gentleman vintner Joe Headon, Rose got a pocket tape recorder from the CDA/Tidy Towns…A youthful Wozzy O’Donogue was presented by an equally youthful Glenn Rayn.. a 1kg would have cost you 3.59 pounds in Mace,,,Steve Deegan had a peculiar poetic ode to his Uncle..Rose had a go at me..Why?... I contributed an epic updated Judgement of Ballymore…Margaret Murphy got married to Bernard Dunne ( not the fella on page 43).. someone had a bombproof pony for sale… Bi=ut back to Steve’s poem it’s worth a re-run, who do we send the royalties to?
Oh how I love thee Uncle dear,
Although thine eyes like frogs appear,
They body is so fat and round,
They heavy footsteps shake the ground,
Thy temper is so sweet and mild,
Twould frighted e’en the smallest child.
And when thou speak people say,
“Now did we hear a donkey bray/”
Oh how I love thee Uncle dear.
From The Ballymore Echo 1982. And he never lost it…….
Sport first and what about Kauto Star’s fall in November. One cannot help to wonder if one Ruby Walsh was in the saddle things might have been different. The same happening again on Big Bucks the following week meant that Sam was sidestepped and replaced by AP for Master Minded at Sandown. Rough Justice.
Kildare County bit the dust with very little style against Mervue United at Galway and Station Road last month, a sad end ? to a very promising outfit. And John Gill had to see his job advertised by Dundalk while still trying to win the First Division. Giller will be back, don’t doubt it, you can’t keep a good man down.
(Photo)
My sporting experience this month was getting chinned by Bernard Dunne at The Keith Duffy Masquerade Ball. All I did was ask for one of his Hunky Dory’s. The highlight was a live intimate performance by Boyzone, in the chapel of the Royal Hospital in Kilmainham.
Our Photographer extrodinaire, Chris asks me to mention the Kildare County Council’s Photo Competition “Autumn in Kildare” details and entry forms from the Environmnet section 045 980200 or email environ@kildarecoco.ie
Blessington Union of Parishes
21st December Carol Service & Morning Prayer 10 am. Ballymore
24th December Christmas Eve. United Service of Holy Communion Ballymore 11 pm.
25th December Christmas Day. Holy Communion in Blessington at 11.15 & Cloughlea at 10.
28th December United Service of carols in Blessington at 11.15 am. (No other services this Sunday)
On behalf of the Rector and the parishioners we would like to thank all who have supported us throughout the year. We wish you all a Happy and a Holy Christmas and a Peaceful New Year.
Church of the Immaculate Conception
Ballymore Eustace
Christmas Ceremonies 2008.
Monday Dec. 22nd
Penitential Service in Preparation for Christmas 8 pm.
Wednesday Dec. 24th
Vigil Mass for the birth of Our Lord Jesus Christ 9 pm.
Thursday December 25th
Masses for the birth of Our Lord Jesus Christ
10 and 11.30
Confessions. Wednesday Dec.24th. Christmas Eve
10 - 12. 3 – 4. 6.30 – 8.30
Fr. Sean wishes everyone a Happy and Holy Christmas
We have come to the end of what has been a very tough year for Ireland and the world in terms of finance. It was one of the most ill thought out budgets that saw an unprecedented backlash against the current Fianna Fail led government. It didn’t get any better for them with the recent pork crisis. Interestingly though, even though beef was also found to be contaminated there was no withdrawal in the same measure as the pig meat. I think I will be joined by more and more in the vegetarian ranks, not because of the crisis but because of all the news footage of those cut little spotty bonamhs that featured on every bulletin.
Elsewhere you will see a presentation from Angie on behalf of the Bugle to the Senior Citizen’s committee. This was made possible by all the advertisers and readers throughout the year. Thank you all.
It was Ten Years ago this Christmas..
Had a farewell to gentleman vintner Joe Headon, Rose got a pocket tape recorder from the CDA/Tidy Towns…A youthful Wozzy O’Donogue was presented by an equally youthful Glenn Rayn.. a 1kg would have cost you 3.59 pounds in Mace,,,Steve Deegan had a peculiar poetic ode to his Uncle..Rose had a go at me..Why?... I contributed an epic updated Judgement of Ballymore…Margaret Murphy got married to Bernard Dunne ( not the fella on page 43).. someone had a bombproof pony for sale… Bi=ut back to Steve’s poem it’s worth a re-run, who do we send the royalties to?
Oh how I love thee Uncle dear,
Although thine eyes like frogs appear,
They body is so fat and round,
They heavy footsteps shake the ground,
Thy temper is so sweet and mild,
Twould frighted e’en the smallest child.
And when thou speak people say,
“Now did we hear a donkey bray/”
Oh how I love thee Uncle dear.
From The Ballymore Echo 1982. And he never lost it…….
Matt’s Memories
Ballymore Eustace Historical Society
Talking to C.J. Darby lately, I gather he has received a large amount of written material and photos for the book the Ballymore Eustace Historical Society intend publishing. C.J. has put this material on his computer. Having seen some of the material he has, I look forward to the book when it comes out.
Ollie’s DVD
Going back to Ollie’s DVD (produced by West Wicklow Films Production), it had shots of my sister Margaret, my late brother Dan and my brother Billy. Regarding Dan, it showed him throwing himself at the line in a photo finish and falling in the process.
Field Day in Quinn’s Field, Coughlanstown
These shots were taken around 1957 and include: late John Headon; Tom Cahill; Joe Quinn; Mary Murphy (Dowdenstown); Patsy Conway; Claire Doyle; late Mrs Igoe; late Maureen Doyle (Sillagh); late Martin Murphy (Dowdenstown); late Maurice Barker; late (and smiling as usual) Ned O’Rourke; late Pat Nugent – caring for his donkeys; Phyllis Marshall falling in a three-legged race (not sure who was with her but I suspect I know - and if I’m right - she is now a Granny); late Pauline Whelan; Nuala Sullivan; Seamie Clarke – waiting for another race to run in; late Frank Tutty; Christy Nolan; Jack Fitzharris; late Tony Boylan; John Kelly; Will Hennessy; Paddy Conway (Dowdenstown) mounting a donkey; Tom Fennan holding Paddy’s donkey; late Jim Dolan; late Don Ryan and the Murphy sisters (Coughlanstown) – Margaret and Judy.
Performers on the DVD
While I enjoyed all the performers on Ollie’s DVD, I became hooked on the singing of Margaret Eustace. Margaret sang two songs on the DVD along with Ann Devlin and Patsy McEvoy. Patsy was another singer I particularly enjoyed his version of The Wicklow Mountains High. Shay Eustace did a lovely recitation about Ann Devlin. Mick Brady referred to a song he based on a letter written by his cousin’s mother when his cousin’s father died. I gather Mike Brady is a regular performer in Pat Murphy’s lounge. His cousin’s name was Peter Keogh. We had a Peter Keogh who I once knew from Coughlanstown and who lived in the house where the late Charlie Farrell lived most recently. Our Peter was into athletics before he immigrated to England many years ago.
The film acknowledges the contributions of the Ballymore Eustace Historical Society, Fr P. Dowling, Michael Kelly and Crena McGee.
Ballymore Eustace Historical Society Video
Seeing the West Wicklow DVD prompted me to have another look at the Ballymore Eustace Historical Society’s Video on which it was based. This Video was twenty-seven minutes long and consisted of six parts. The earliest part being of a Corpus Christi Procession taken about 1952. Others were all taken in 1957 by Fr Paddy Dowling: Sports in Quinn’s Field; Erecting Statue at the New School; Santa Claus parade to Old Band Hall; Party in the New School; and, Shake Hands with the Devil. The later was about the making of the film. The lower part of the village was transformed while the film was ongoing.
Corpus Christi Procession
The film of the 1952 Corpus Christi Procession had many Ballymore Eustace stalwarts in it including my brother James and Kevin Burke. The Video contains extra shots of the Field day not included in the DVD. These included shots of myself recovering after falling, face first, in the pit in the long jump. My sister Margaret and brother Dan were nearby at the time and are included in the film. Meanwhile, in the Video Dan is shown winning a race I had forgotten about. The late Jack Doyle, Sean Doyle (Seasons) and the late Mattie Kelly also appear in it.
Departed
I recently learned of the death of my former work colleague, John Jennings of Templeogue, Dublin on March 23, 2008 at Tallaght Hospital R.I.P. John was a Principal Officer with Dublin County Council’s Finance Department.
Handball fans will be sorry to learn Wexford’s Seamus Dempsey died in St. Vincent's Hospital in Dublin on Saturday September 20 R.I.P. He was 69 years of age. His wife Eithne, children - Alan, Gavin, Padraig, Noel and Alison, brother Paddy, sisters - May, Betty, Anna and Kitty, grandchildren, son-inlaw, daughters-in-law, brother-in-law, sister-in-law nephews, nieces and relatives survive Seamus.
Sorry to see from the last Bugle that Kathleen Cowley (nee Jackson - wife of the late Andy) of Bishopland passed away. Kathleen died on November 7 R.I.P. Her daughter Margaret, sons Andrew, Noel, Hubert and Declan, son-in-law Eddie, daughters-in-law Liz and Virginia, grandchildren, sisters-in-law and relatives survive Kathleen. Kathleen is interred in St. Mary's Cemetery. Coming so soon after the death of her sister, May Dennison, this must have been a great shock to Kathleen’s family.
Mícheal (Michael) Murphy of Whiteleas died on November 22 R.I.P. His wife Eileen, sons - Gerard, Michael and Alan, daughters - Mary, Angela, Colette, Therese and Lisa, brothers, sisters, brothers-in-law, sisters-in-law, sons-in-law, daughters-in-law, nephews, nieces grandchildren and relatives survive Mícheal. Mícheal is interred in St. Mary's Cemetery.
Christmas
I wish all our readers - and those home for the festival - a very happy Christmas. Additionally, I would like to thank all those who assisted me in any way with my Bugle contributions during the past year.
© Matt Purcell (November 26, 2008)
Ballymore Eustace Historical Society
Talking to C.J. Darby lately, I gather he has received a large amount of written material and photos for the book the Ballymore Eustace Historical Society intend publishing. C.J. has put this material on his computer. Having seen some of the material he has, I look forward to the book when it comes out.
Ollie’s DVD
Going back to Ollie’s DVD (produced by West Wicklow Films Production), it had shots of my sister Margaret, my late brother Dan and my brother Billy. Regarding Dan, it showed him throwing himself at the line in a photo finish and falling in the process.
Field Day in Quinn’s Field, Coughlanstown
These shots were taken around 1957 and include: late John Headon; Tom Cahill; Joe Quinn; Mary Murphy (Dowdenstown); Patsy Conway; Claire Doyle; late Mrs Igoe; late Maureen Doyle (Sillagh); late Martin Murphy (Dowdenstown); late Maurice Barker; late (and smiling as usual) Ned O’Rourke; late Pat Nugent – caring for his donkeys; Phyllis Marshall falling in a three-legged race (not sure who was with her but I suspect I know - and if I’m right - she is now a Granny); late Pauline Whelan; Nuala Sullivan; Seamie Clarke – waiting for another race to run in; late Frank Tutty; Christy Nolan; Jack Fitzharris; late Tony Boylan; John Kelly; Will Hennessy; Paddy Conway (Dowdenstown) mounting a donkey; Tom Fennan holding Paddy’s donkey; late Jim Dolan; late Don Ryan and the Murphy sisters (Coughlanstown) – Margaret and Judy.
Performers on the DVD
While I enjoyed all the performers on Ollie’s DVD, I became hooked on the singing of Margaret Eustace. Margaret sang two songs on the DVD along with Ann Devlin and Patsy McEvoy. Patsy was another singer I particularly enjoyed his version of The Wicklow Mountains High. Shay Eustace did a lovely recitation about Ann Devlin. Mick Brady referred to a song he based on a letter written by his cousin’s mother when his cousin’s father died. I gather Mike Brady is a regular performer in Pat Murphy’s lounge. His cousin’s name was Peter Keogh. We had a Peter Keogh who I once knew from Coughlanstown and who lived in the house where the late Charlie Farrell lived most recently. Our Peter was into athletics before he immigrated to England many years ago.
The film acknowledges the contributions of the Ballymore Eustace Historical Society, Fr P. Dowling, Michael Kelly and Crena McGee.
Ballymore Eustace Historical Society Video
Seeing the West Wicklow DVD prompted me to have another look at the Ballymore Eustace Historical Society’s Video on which it was based. This Video was twenty-seven minutes long and consisted of six parts. The earliest part being of a Corpus Christi Procession taken about 1952. Others were all taken in 1957 by Fr Paddy Dowling: Sports in Quinn’s Field; Erecting Statue at the New School; Santa Claus parade to Old Band Hall; Party in the New School; and, Shake Hands with the Devil. The later was about the making of the film. The lower part of the village was transformed while the film was ongoing.
Corpus Christi Procession
The film of the 1952 Corpus Christi Procession had many Ballymore Eustace stalwarts in it including my brother James and Kevin Burke. The Video contains extra shots of the Field day not included in the DVD. These included shots of myself recovering after falling, face first, in the pit in the long jump. My sister Margaret and brother Dan were nearby at the time and are included in the film. Meanwhile, in the Video Dan is shown winning a race I had forgotten about. The late Jack Doyle, Sean Doyle (Seasons) and the late Mattie Kelly also appear in it.
Departed
I recently learned of the death of my former work colleague, John Jennings of Templeogue, Dublin on March 23, 2008 at Tallaght Hospital R.I.P. John was a Principal Officer with Dublin County Council’s Finance Department.
Handball fans will be sorry to learn Wexford’s Seamus Dempsey died in St. Vincent's Hospital in Dublin on Saturday September 20 R.I.P. He was 69 years of age. His wife Eithne, children - Alan, Gavin, Padraig, Noel and Alison, brother Paddy, sisters - May, Betty, Anna and Kitty, grandchildren, son-inlaw, daughters-in-law, brother-in-law, sister-in-law nephews, nieces and relatives survive Seamus.
Sorry to see from the last Bugle that Kathleen Cowley (nee Jackson - wife of the late Andy) of Bishopland passed away. Kathleen died on November 7 R.I.P. Her daughter Margaret, sons Andrew, Noel, Hubert and Declan, son-in-law Eddie, daughters-in-law Liz and Virginia, grandchildren, sisters-in-law and relatives survive Kathleen. Kathleen is interred in St. Mary's Cemetery. Coming so soon after the death of her sister, May Dennison, this must have been a great shock to Kathleen’s family.
Mícheal (Michael) Murphy of Whiteleas died on November 22 R.I.P. His wife Eileen, sons - Gerard, Michael and Alan, daughters - Mary, Angela, Colette, Therese and Lisa, brothers, sisters, brothers-in-law, sisters-in-law, sons-in-law, daughters-in-law, nephews, nieces grandchildren and relatives survive Mícheal. Mícheal is interred in St. Mary's Cemetery.
Christmas
I wish all our readers - and those home for the festival - a very happy Christmas. Additionally, I would like to thank all those who assisted me in any way with my Bugle contributions during the past year.
© Matt Purcell (November 26, 2008)
Ballymore Ladies GFC
Ballymore Ladies held their AGM in The Thatch on Tuesday December 9th. The meeting was attended by committee members, team members, management and Michael Horan on behalf of the juvenile section.
Junior D Champions
Chairperson Jacinta O’Rourke opened the meeting by congratulating the team and management on the hard work put in throughout the year culminating in a league semi-final and the championship win. The championship final was a particularly sweet win over one of our great rivals!
County Trials
The Kildare clubs have been divided into 4 regional teams who play each other every week, giving the new Ladies management team an opportunity to see the best the county has to offer. Best of luck to Lesley Tutty, Dawn Murray, Fran Burke and Teresa Gorman representing Ballymore.
Election of Officers
Only two of last year’s committee decided not to stand again this year. Thanks to Louise Tutty and Jackie Smith for all their work as the club’s PROs in 2008.
The 2009 committee is as follows
Chairperson Jacinta O’Rourke
Asst. Chairperson Aisling Rigney
Secretary Caroline Deegan
Treasurer Bid Meade
PROs\Registrars Deirdre Hackett\Sharon O’Donoghue
Children’s Officer Sinead Gorman
County Board Delegate Jackie Smith
Management
After the success of 2008 the club is delighted that the same team will be training and mentoring them next season. They refused to say a few words at the AGM but we’ve been promised a speech from the manager at the awards night!
Simon Murphy
Joe Piggott
John Hubbard
Fundraising
For the first time a separate committee has been put together to plan and carry out the fundraising duties for Ballymore Ladies.
Sarah Malone
Ashling Hubbard
Anne-Marie Gorman
Lesley Tutty
Stacey Balfe
Bag Packing Day in aid of Juvenile section
A bag packing day has been organised to raise money for the underage girls’ registration fees. The junior girls will be packing bags under the supervision of some of the senior ladies.
If you are in Dunnes Blessington on Sunday 21st December please support the girls!
Awards Night
An Awards night is being organised for Saturday March 7th in The Thatch. The night is a celebration of the championship win and will include the annual presentation of the club awards.
It was also proposed at the meeting that the Welly Match be held on the same day.
Keep an eye out in next year’s bugle for confirmation of all events.
Juvenile Section
Michael Horan spoke about the great work being done for the girls at underage level. They now have teams playing from March through November in a number of girls leagues and are also hoping to enter a team in Cumann na mBunscoil in 2009.
The senior ladies have agreed to help out with training and with the after school matches where possible.
Training
It is hoped that training will start on the first Monday in February
(confirmation in next month’s bugle). We are always looking to recruit new players so if you are interested please come along.
T shirts
BALLYMORE LADIES v neck t shirts on sale in Daybreak ( Janets)
for only €10
Thank you
Finally we would like to wish all our sponsors and supporters a very Happy Christmas and hope that we can add to our Championship success in 2009!
Sharon & Deirdre
_________________________________________________________
SENIOR GFC
The clubs A.G.M was held on the 15th of December. A report will follow in next’s months Bugle. All support is welcome in the coming year, no matter how small.ANNUAL AWARDS
The Young Player of the Year Award went to Keith Fennell; Senior Player of the Year Award went to Tommy Archibold whilst Clubman of the Year is awarded to: Eoghan Barrett. Congratulations to all on a great year!A big thanks to all our sponsors during the year, Ballymore Oils, Kieren Langan, Pat Murphy’s Bar and Naas Insurance Ltd. Without their help, it would not have been possible to run the club. Also the committee would like to thank the many people who took part in the various events and who donated their time and money. Without this help, we would not be able to run the club. Best wishes to all for a Peaceful Christmas and Happy New Year.
We extend our sympathy to the family of the late Micheal Murphy, member of the legendary ’53 “Three in a Row” team, may he rest in peace, amen.
Ballymore-Eustace’s Proud Handball Record – Part 7
Paddy Monaghan (featured in an article in the September 1999 Bugle) occupies a unique position in the club. His playing career of over sixty years extends way beyond that of any other player of my acquaintance. Sadly, Paddy died on May 31 of this year. Originally, Paddy was over shadowed by such as Bobbie Grattan, Jim Bolger, Bill Lawlor and Liam Evans. In 1953, Paddy partnered Bill Lawlor to success in the All-Ireland junior hard doubles championship. Due to an objection, Paddy and Bill had to win that particular title twice over.
In his early days, Paddy was not involved on the official side of things. Paddy became a club official in 1964 and since then he has occupied various positions both at Club and County Board levels. He has the distinction of being the only Kildare man to hold the position of Chairman of the Leinster Handball Council. Over the years Paddy has traveled the length and breadth of Ireland with our players and also accompanied Tom O'Rourke to San Francisco in 1978 when Tom won the Atlas Travel under 22 trials.
There is no doubt that much of the credit for the very successful run the Club has enjoyed over the years must go to Paddy. Paddy's special interest has been in juvenile handball and for his efforts in this area he has received special recognition in 1974 from Central Handball Council. To prove he was not a spent force on the playing front Paddy made history in 1981 by becoming the first Kildare man to win the Leinster 40 by 20 golden masters singles title.
Tom, Billy and Judy Doran were all members of the Club. Tom played the game for recreation purposes before he immigrated to England while Judy, who was married to Paddy Carthy - himself a good racquetball player, was mainly interested in racquetball at which she was one of our top lady players before her untimely death. Billy was a stylish, two handed player who while awaiting employment in the middle fifties got lots of handball practice. It all came good for him in 1957 when he reached three All-Ireland finals winning two of them. Unfortunately handball successes are no substitute for steady employment and shortly after his successes Billy went to England in search of work. Some nine years later he returned home and won a senior hard doubles medal in partnership with Greg Lawler in 1969.
Billy was a natural athlete who never tired of playing and I gather still plays the occasional game. He was good at all forms of the game and also adept at racquetball. In the simpler days of the fifties when we had to make our own entertainment Billy was, to use an expression associated with a later decade, the leader of our pack keeping us entertained with handball, athletics and swimming not to mention the occasional bar of a song. Do you remember Billy your straw hat that "sorta" floated over the Liffey Bridge (with a little help from your friends) while you were giving us a rendering of the "Banana Boat Song"? In the words of Phil Coulter's most famous song "Those were happy days" not least because we were all young and had yet to experience the trials and tribulations of life that come with advancing years
Seamie Curran was Billy's partner in both softball and hardball and together they were a formidable duo. Like his partner, Seamie was equally good at hardball and softball. Like Billy, Seamie also immigrated after his successes. Unlike Billy, Seamie has remained in England and married Mary Tipper of Lackan and they have settled down in that Ballymore enclave known as Reading. Seamie and Mary have a family of five children. Before immigrating, Seamie had been Club Secretary and carried out his duties with diligence.
Congratulations
To Eamonn Deegan on winning the Kildare Handball Award for 2008. This was announced at the Kildare G.A.A. Sports Stars night in the Hotel Keadeen on November 22. Eamonn received this award for his contribution towards handball over a long period of time. In 2000, Eamonn won this award in conjunction with John Browne in recognition of their win in the All-Ireland Emerald Masters “A” 40 by 20 Doubles.
© Matt Purcell (December 10, 2008)
The table quiz in the Ballymore Inn Halloween night raised E1200.00 towards an anesthetic machine for a hospital in Belarus. Thanks to Barry and Georgina O Sullivan, Tom O Rourke and Liam O Toole and all who contributed on the night.
In a small box please:
FOUND
“Signposts”
A resource pack for teachers (folder)
On Thursday, 11th December,
Truce Road area.
KTK Community Levies
Readers, Mike gave you an update on KTK Levies in last month’s Bugle; no major news since then except to say that monthly meetings are now being held and hopefully, progress should be evident in The New Year. Several projects submitted have been approved in theory by the committee but updated invoices and project analysis have since been requested. The submission by Ballymore Eustace Historical and Heritage Society has been ‘given the nod’ by the committee and should be put before the Naas Area Meeting at the end of January. If approved by Kildare County Councillors, the society should receive a substantial donation in Spring 2008. I am being deliberately vague about this as my experience to date on approved projects has been mind-boggling – such has been the time lapse between meetings plus changes of council personnel on the committee that approved submissions have had to be reviewed and basically, start from scratch again. Hence, my repeated usage of ‘should’ in this brief. The Bandhall proposal to tarmacadam the car park has also in theory been approved but, through no fault of the Bandhall Committee, will be reviewed at the end of January (submissions got mysteriously lost in Council cyber space…) Fingers crossed, Readers and remember, turtles eventually get where they are headed…….eventually. zzzzzzzzz Rose
Wolfe Tone Cumann DrawMany thanks to all who supported the annual raffle in aid of Wolfe Tone Fianna Fail Cumann. 1st Prize €150 - John Nolan, Naas; 2nd Prize €100 voucher Ballymore Inn - Shannon Slevin Doyle, Blessington; 3rd Prize €50 - Mary Campbell, Ballymore Eustace; 4th Prize Kevin Keenan, Jr; 5th Prize June Keenan, Kevin’s mum; 6th Prize Ned Deegan; 7th prize John Kennedy; 8th prize John Kennedy; 9th prize Gerry Morgan; 10th Prize Mark Power.
A happy Christmas to cumann members and to all who sold tickets, donated prizes or bought tickets. Special thanks also to Sean Power TD & Minister of State, Cllrs Mark Dalton and Martin Miley Jnr who attended the draw but biggest thanks to Des Kennedy who, once again, sold more tickets than anyone else – 90 books in total!
Prize
Niall Mellon Raffle
Winners
1st
Membership Naas Health & Fitness Gym (3 months)
Mary O Connell, Brannockstown
2nd
Champagne & Wine Hamper
Martin Horan
c/o Sheryl Horan
3rd
€100 Voucher "The Ballymore Inn" & Cuddly Toy
Robin McDermott
4th
Beautiful Jewellery Set & Bottle of Wine donated by Melissa Fisher
Killian Brennan, Kilmeague
5th /6th
M&S Watch
M & S Watch
Dylan Water and Celine O’Neill
Thanks to all who supported the raffle in aid of Niall Mellon Blitz 2009; local women Janet Deegan and Denise Kelly will be joining the crew heading out to South Africa next year to build permanent homes in poverty stricken areas. Thanks to all who sold or bought tickets and to all who donated prizes. A happy Christmas to you.
STEINER EDUCATION – A PARENT’S PERSPECTIVE
Being a long time customer of An Tearmann, the lovely café in Kilcullen, I had always had a general awareness of the Kildare Steiner School- their emphasis on creativity and beauty found in nature. I also recall hearing Rekka Patel praising the school and its teachers, but I guess I had never really stopped to consider it properly. It wasn’t until one day last summer someone said “Have you though of Steiner education” when I was grappling with the issue of our son’s failure to thrive as a dyslexic child in the state school system. Despite all the best efforts of teachers and the Principal, we felt matters were spiralling down- it was a tough year.
Afterwards we all reflected that the mention of the Steiner system was “like a lightbulb going on”. From the first “googling” of the Kildare Steiner School’s website, to the conversation on the phone and then the meetings with the teachers it was like a gradual process of enlightenment. A family member recently remarked “It was a real leap of faith” to change our son’s school after third class and maybe it was…The school is situated in Gormanstown, just beyond Brannockstown and the site is lovely, even if it does need some further work- there are lots of exciting projects in progress like the newly erected polytunnel, for all weather plant growing and a clay oven in the parent and child garden.
There is a small, but beautifully formed purpose built school building, and the classes are small- a pupil teacher ration of 1:13 in our son’s class. The classrooms are bright and welcoming and the teachers are very special, warm , kind, intuitive and calm. The whole of the national curriculum is covered, including Irish, but it is taught in quite a rounded and holistic way. For example in geography the older classes have been making amazing, hand drawn maps of Ireland , complete with all the detail. All the necessary facts seem to be fully absorbed, but the process is one that seems to appeal to all our human facets, reflecting the message “Schooling the head , hands and heart”.
As Steiner schools in Ireland are not currently recognised under the state system (although they are inspected regularly by the Department of Education), there is a fee payable by parents and then regular fundraising to make up the inevitable shortfall. In the relatively short time I have been involved with the school however I have been struck by the energy and enthusiasm of parents to engage with this. It’s certainly not the kind of school where you simply drop off your kids and drive away, the school actively encourages parental involvement and communication at all levels.
In my dealings with the Kildare Steiner School during the last six months I have been deeply impressed by the extent to which everyone involved with it seems to live out the philosophy of the founder of this type of alternative education- Rudolph Steiner, who said:
“Receive the child with reverence, educate the child with love, send the child forth in freedom”
The difference in our own child’s self confidence and academic achievement has been incredible so far and we all look forward to the continued illumination and growth that began in June, when the light bulb came on in our darkness.
Angie Thompson
To Contact the Kildare Steiner School please ring : 045 401919- if the teachers are in class please leave a message and someone will call you back as soon as possible.
Ballymore Ladies held their AGM in The Thatch on Tuesday December 9th. The meeting was attended by committee members, team members, management and Michael Horan on behalf of the juvenile section.
Junior D Champions
Chairperson Jacinta O’Rourke opened the meeting by congratulating the team and management on the hard work put in throughout the year culminating in a league semi-final and the championship win. The championship final was a particularly sweet win over one of our great rivals!
County Trials
The Kildare clubs have been divided into 4 regional teams who play each other every week, giving the new Ladies management team an opportunity to see the best the county has to offer. Best of luck to Lesley Tutty, Dawn Murray, Fran Burke and Teresa Gorman representing Ballymore.
Election of Officers
Only two of last year’s committee decided not to stand again this year. Thanks to Louise Tutty and Jackie Smith for all their work as the club’s PROs in 2008.
The 2009 committee is as follows
Chairperson Jacinta O’Rourke
Asst. Chairperson Aisling Rigney
Secretary Caroline Deegan
Treasurer Bid Meade
PROs\Registrars Deirdre Hackett\Sharon O’Donoghue
Children’s Officer Sinead Gorman
County Board Delegate Jackie Smith
Management
After the success of 2008 the club is delighted that the same team will be training and mentoring them next season. They refused to say a few words at the AGM but we’ve been promised a speech from the manager at the awards night!
Simon Murphy
Joe Piggott
John Hubbard
Fundraising
For the first time a separate committee has been put together to plan and carry out the fundraising duties for Ballymore Ladies.
Sarah Malone
Ashling Hubbard
Anne-Marie Gorman
Lesley Tutty
Stacey Balfe
Bag Packing Day in aid of Juvenile section
A bag packing day has been organised to raise money for the underage girls’ registration fees. The junior girls will be packing bags under the supervision of some of the senior ladies.
If you are in Dunnes Blessington on Sunday 21st December please support the girls!
Awards Night
An Awards night is being organised for Saturday March 7th in The Thatch. The night is a celebration of the championship win and will include the annual presentation of the club awards.
It was also proposed at the meeting that the Welly Match be held on the same day.
Keep an eye out in next year’s bugle for confirmation of all events.
Juvenile Section
Michael Horan spoke about the great work being done for the girls at underage level. They now have teams playing from March through November in a number of girls leagues and are also hoping to enter a team in Cumann na mBunscoil in 2009.
The senior ladies have agreed to help out with training and with the after school matches where possible.
Training
It is hoped that training will start on the first Monday in February
(confirmation in next month’s bugle). We are always looking to recruit new players so if you are interested please come along.
T shirts
BALLYMORE LADIES v neck t shirts on sale in Daybreak ( Janets)
for only €10
Thank you
Finally we would like to wish all our sponsors and supporters a very Happy Christmas and hope that we can add to our Championship success in 2009!
Sharon & Deirdre
_________________________________________________________
SENIOR GFC
The clubs A.G.M was held on the 15th of December. A report will follow in next’s months Bugle. All support is welcome in the coming year, no matter how small.ANNUAL AWARDS
The Young Player of the Year Award went to Keith Fennell; Senior Player of the Year Award went to Tommy Archibold whilst Clubman of the Year is awarded to: Eoghan Barrett. Congratulations to all on a great year!A big thanks to all our sponsors during the year, Ballymore Oils, Kieren Langan, Pat Murphy’s Bar and Naas Insurance Ltd. Without their help, it would not have been possible to run the club. Also the committee would like to thank the many people who took part in the various events and who donated their time and money. Without this help, we would not be able to run the club. Best wishes to all for a Peaceful Christmas and Happy New Year.
We extend our sympathy to the family of the late Micheal Murphy, member of the legendary ’53 “Three in a Row” team, may he rest in peace, amen.
Ballymore-Eustace’s Proud Handball Record – Part 7
Paddy Monaghan (featured in an article in the September 1999 Bugle) occupies a unique position in the club. His playing career of over sixty years extends way beyond that of any other player of my acquaintance. Sadly, Paddy died on May 31 of this year. Originally, Paddy was over shadowed by such as Bobbie Grattan, Jim Bolger, Bill Lawlor and Liam Evans. In 1953, Paddy partnered Bill Lawlor to success in the All-Ireland junior hard doubles championship. Due to an objection, Paddy and Bill had to win that particular title twice over.
In his early days, Paddy was not involved on the official side of things. Paddy became a club official in 1964 and since then he has occupied various positions both at Club and County Board levels. He has the distinction of being the only Kildare man to hold the position of Chairman of the Leinster Handball Council. Over the years Paddy has traveled the length and breadth of Ireland with our players and also accompanied Tom O'Rourke to San Francisco in 1978 when Tom won the Atlas Travel under 22 trials.
There is no doubt that much of the credit for the very successful run the Club has enjoyed over the years must go to Paddy. Paddy's special interest has been in juvenile handball and for his efforts in this area he has received special recognition in 1974 from Central Handball Council. To prove he was not a spent force on the playing front Paddy made history in 1981 by becoming the first Kildare man to win the Leinster 40 by 20 golden masters singles title.
Tom, Billy and Judy Doran were all members of the Club. Tom played the game for recreation purposes before he immigrated to England while Judy, who was married to Paddy Carthy - himself a good racquetball player, was mainly interested in racquetball at which she was one of our top lady players before her untimely death. Billy was a stylish, two handed player who while awaiting employment in the middle fifties got lots of handball practice. It all came good for him in 1957 when he reached three All-Ireland finals winning two of them. Unfortunately handball successes are no substitute for steady employment and shortly after his successes Billy went to England in search of work. Some nine years later he returned home and won a senior hard doubles medal in partnership with Greg Lawler in 1969.
Billy was a natural athlete who never tired of playing and I gather still plays the occasional game. He was good at all forms of the game and also adept at racquetball. In the simpler days of the fifties when we had to make our own entertainment Billy was, to use an expression associated with a later decade, the leader of our pack keeping us entertained with handball, athletics and swimming not to mention the occasional bar of a song. Do you remember Billy your straw hat that "sorta" floated over the Liffey Bridge (with a little help from your friends) while you were giving us a rendering of the "Banana Boat Song"? In the words of Phil Coulter's most famous song "Those were happy days" not least because we were all young and had yet to experience the trials and tribulations of life that come with advancing years
Seamie Curran was Billy's partner in both softball and hardball and together they were a formidable duo. Like his partner, Seamie was equally good at hardball and softball. Like Billy, Seamie also immigrated after his successes. Unlike Billy, Seamie has remained in England and married Mary Tipper of Lackan and they have settled down in that Ballymore enclave known as Reading. Seamie and Mary have a family of five children. Before immigrating, Seamie had been Club Secretary and carried out his duties with diligence.
Congratulations
To Eamonn Deegan on winning the Kildare Handball Award for 2008. This was announced at the Kildare G.A.A. Sports Stars night in the Hotel Keadeen on November 22. Eamonn received this award for his contribution towards handball over a long period of time. In 2000, Eamonn won this award in conjunction with John Browne in recognition of their win in the All-Ireland Emerald Masters “A” 40 by 20 Doubles.
© Matt Purcell (December 10, 2008)
The table quiz in the Ballymore Inn Halloween night raised E1200.00 towards an anesthetic machine for a hospital in Belarus. Thanks to Barry and Georgina O Sullivan, Tom O Rourke and Liam O Toole and all who contributed on the night.
In a small box please:
FOUND
“Signposts”
A resource pack for teachers (folder)
On Thursday, 11th December,
Truce Road area.
KTK Community Levies
Readers, Mike gave you an update on KTK Levies in last month’s Bugle; no major news since then except to say that monthly meetings are now being held and hopefully, progress should be evident in The New Year. Several projects submitted have been approved in theory by the committee but updated invoices and project analysis have since been requested. The submission by Ballymore Eustace Historical and Heritage Society has been ‘given the nod’ by the committee and should be put before the Naas Area Meeting at the end of January. If approved by Kildare County Councillors, the society should receive a substantial donation in Spring 2008. I am being deliberately vague about this as my experience to date on approved projects has been mind-boggling – such has been the time lapse between meetings plus changes of council personnel on the committee that approved submissions have had to be reviewed and basically, start from scratch again. Hence, my repeated usage of ‘should’ in this brief. The Bandhall proposal to tarmacadam the car park has also in theory been approved but, through no fault of the Bandhall Committee, will be reviewed at the end of January (submissions got mysteriously lost in Council cyber space…) Fingers crossed, Readers and remember, turtles eventually get where they are headed…….eventually. zzzzzzzzz Rose
Wolfe Tone Cumann DrawMany thanks to all who supported the annual raffle in aid of Wolfe Tone Fianna Fail Cumann. 1st Prize €150 - John Nolan, Naas; 2nd Prize €100 voucher Ballymore Inn - Shannon Slevin Doyle, Blessington; 3rd Prize €50 - Mary Campbell, Ballymore Eustace; 4th Prize Kevin Keenan, Jr; 5th Prize June Keenan, Kevin’s mum; 6th Prize Ned Deegan; 7th prize John Kennedy; 8th prize John Kennedy; 9th prize Gerry Morgan; 10th Prize Mark Power.
A happy Christmas to cumann members and to all who sold tickets, donated prizes or bought tickets. Special thanks also to Sean Power TD & Minister of State, Cllrs Mark Dalton and Martin Miley Jnr who attended the draw but biggest thanks to Des Kennedy who, once again, sold more tickets than anyone else – 90 books in total!
Prize
Niall Mellon Raffle
Winners
1st
Membership Naas Health & Fitness Gym (3 months)
Mary O Connell, Brannockstown
2nd
Champagne & Wine Hamper
Martin Horan
c/o Sheryl Horan
3rd
€100 Voucher "The Ballymore Inn" & Cuddly Toy
Robin McDermott
4th
Beautiful Jewellery Set & Bottle of Wine donated by Melissa Fisher
Killian Brennan, Kilmeague
5th /6th
M&S Watch
M & S Watch
Dylan Water and Celine O’Neill
Thanks to all who supported the raffle in aid of Niall Mellon Blitz 2009; local women Janet Deegan and Denise Kelly will be joining the crew heading out to South Africa next year to build permanent homes in poverty stricken areas. Thanks to all who sold or bought tickets and to all who donated prizes. A happy Christmas to you.
STEINER EDUCATION – A PARENT’S PERSPECTIVE
Being a long time customer of An Tearmann, the lovely café in Kilcullen, I had always had a general awareness of the Kildare Steiner School- their emphasis on creativity and beauty found in nature. I also recall hearing Rekka Patel praising the school and its teachers, but I guess I had never really stopped to consider it properly. It wasn’t until one day last summer someone said “Have you though of Steiner education” when I was grappling with the issue of our son’s failure to thrive as a dyslexic child in the state school system. Despite all the best efforts of teachers and the Principal, we felt matters were spiralling down- it was a tough year.
Afterwards we all reflected that the mention of the Steiner system was “like a lightbulb going on”. From the first “googling” of the Kildare Steiner School’s website, to the conversation on the phone and then the meetings with the teachers it was like a gradual process of enlightenment. A family member recently remarked “It was a real leap of faith” to change our son’s school after third class and maybe it was…The school is situated in Gormanstown, just beyond Brannockstown and the site is lovely, even if it does need some further work- there are lots of exciting projects in progress like the newly erected polytunnel, for all weather plant growing and a clay oven in the parent and child garden.
There is a small, but beautifully formed purpose built school building, and the classes are small- a pupil teacher ration of 1:13 in our son’s class. The classrooms are bright and welcoming and the teachers are very special, warm , kind, intuitive and calm. The whole of the national curriculum is covered, including Irish, but it is taught in quite a rounded and holistic way. For example in geography the older classes have been making amazing, hand drawn maps of Ireland , complete with all the detail. All the necessary facts seem to be fully absorbed, but the process is one that seems to appeal to all our human facets, reflecting the message “Schooling the head , hands and heart”.
As Steiner schools in Ireland are not currently recognised under the state system (although they are inspected regularly by the Department of Education), there is a fee payable by parents and then regular fundraising to make up the inevitable shortfall. In the relatively short time I have been involved with the school however I have been struck by the energy and enthusiasm of parents to engage with this. It’s certainly not the kind of school where you simply drop off your kids and drive away, the school actively encourages parental involvement and communication at all levels.
In my dealings with the Kildare Steiner School during the last six months I have been deeply impressed by the extent to which everyone involved with it seems to live out the philosophy of the founder of this type of alternative education- Rudolph Steiner, who said:
“Receive the child with reverence, educate the child with love, send the child forth in freedom”
The difference in our own child’s self confidence and academic achievement has been incredible so far and we all look forward to the continued illumination and growth that began in June, when the light bulb came on in our darkness.
Angie Thompson
To Contact the Kildare Steiner School please ring : 045 401919- if the teachers are in class please leave a message and someone will call you back as soon as possible.
In Memory of Maureen Doyle
Sadly, Maureen passed away on the 6th of November ’08 after a long battle with cancer.
Maureen was a woman of great character. Her positive outlook was inspirational. She attracted many people into her life simply by being friendly and sincere. Maureen spoke of her illness in a dismissive way and was always far more interested in everyone else around her. Family and friends were her main priorities in life.
Maureen was a great advocate of our traditional Cead Mile Failte; tea, treats, and storytelling were very much the norm in her home. Being a Tipperary woman, she was a great fan of inter-county hurling. She enjoyed the banter, particularly on anything to do with sport. Around here, we love our football, so living borderline – Wicklow, Kildare – made for many an argument!! I do believe she was neutral though, or was she being diplomatic?!
Maureen was truly the outdoor type. Some of her many interests included gardening, golf, and from early childhood, breeding Connemara ponies – she loved horses and animals generally!
Maureen began her ‘golf career’ with Ballymore GS and as soon as she mastered it, she joined Boystown Golf Club and Poulaphuca GS as well! She was a founder member of Boystown Ladies club and was Captain in 1998 and 1999. She has been Lady President there for the past few years, a role of which she was very proud, and rightly so.
In BME GS, Maureen served on the committee as Secretary from 2003 to 2006. There was no better person to take up the reins from Dora, she was incredibly organised and committed to the task. She really enjoyed her golf and particularly the social side of it!
Her brother Tim happened to mention another side to Maureen – she was very stubborn. In her last weeks, getting her to eat was difficult enough for Marky. He offered her jelly, plain and simple. He presented it with pride, because finally there was something she wanted to eat! Her response was “It’s red, I don’t eat anything red”. Everyone had a laugh, including Maureen.
That same stubbornness stood her proud. She lived longer than her doctors expected, she maintained her independence and she died at home, as she had wanted, with great dignity. Her family were there for her every step of the way. Maureen lived every day of her short life to the full, in a spirit of goodwill, right to the end.
☺
Results - Baltinglass Outing
1st 38 pts Tommy Deegan 2nd 37 pts Tim Duggan
Yellow ball 36pts Brendan Daly
John Murphy
Tim Duggan
Rumble 77 pts Ciaran Curley
Eoghan Barrett
T Deegan Post
Mystery Team 1st 105 pts
Tommy Deegan
Eoghan Barrett
John Field
2nd 99 pts
Simon Murphy
Michael Horan
Tim Duggan
Ballymore Eustace GAA Club
Juvenile Football & Hurling
An Báile Mór
The News:
Well Christmas is just upon us and I'm sure all the juvenile's have sent Santa their letters and Christmas lists are
made out. With all in hibernation from GAA at the moment I was looking back over the year at the teams that
took part in both football and hurling.
It was fantastic in particular to see the number of different teams that took part in leagues, blitz's, Go-Games,
Community Games, Scoil Mhuire football and hurling teams, Leinster Feile and Co. Championships. U8, U10,
U11 & U12 in hurling, U7, U8, U9, U10, U11, U12, U13 in football and not forgetting St. Oliver Plunketts with
U14, U15, U16, U18, & U21.
Add to that the Summer Camp, the Duck Race,The Family Fun Day, Christmas Disco and the Girls team trip to
Croke Park and what you have here is a lot of families involved in sport.
Of course its very important that kids get out and are involved in sport for many reasons but that really can only
happen because of the commitment of their parents. So to all parents on behalf of the Juvenile committee thank
you for your support, enjoy the break from GAA and have a great Christmas and all the best for 2009. We would
also like to take this opportunity to wish Tim a “Big Happy Birthday” this month.
The Girls in Croke Park
St. Oliver Plunketts U14 in the Leinster Feile Parade
Merry Christmas and a
Happy New Year to All
Sadly, Maureen passed away on the 6th of November ’08 after a long battle with cancer.
Maureen was a woman of great character. Her positive outlook was inspirational. She attracted many people into her life simply by being friendly and sincere. Maureen spoke of her illness in a dismissive way and was always far more interested in everyone else around her. Family and friends were her main priorities in life.
Maureen was a great advocate of our traditional Cead Mile Failte; tea, treats, and storytelling were very much the norm in her home. Being a Tipperary woman, she was a great fan of inter-county hurling. She enjoyed the banter, particularly on anything to do with sport. Around here, we love our football, so living borderline – Wicklow, Kildare – made for many an argument!! I do believe she was neutral though, or was she being diplomatic?!
Maureen was truly the outdoor type. Some of her many interests included gardening, golf, and from early childhood, breeding Connemara ponies – she loved horses and animals generally!
Maureen began her ‘golf career’ with Ballymore GS and as soon as she mastered it, she joined Boystown Golf Club and Poulaphuca GS as well! She was a founder member of Boystown Ladies club and was Captain in 1998 and 1999. She has been Lady President there for the past few years, a role of which she was very proud, and rightly so.
In BME GS, Maureen served on the committee as Secretary from 2003 to 2006. There was no better person to take up the reins from Dora, she was incredibly organised and committed to the task. She really enjoyed her golf and particularly the social side of it!
Her brother Tim happened to mention another side to Maureen – she was very stubborn. In her last weeks, getting her to eat was difficult enough for Marky. He offered her jelly, plain and simple. He presented it with pride, because finally there was something she wanted to eat! Her response was “It’s red, I don’t eat anything red”. Everyone had a laugh, including Maureen.
That same stubbornness stood her proud. She lived longer than her doctors expected, she maintained her independence and she died at home, as she had wanted, with great dignity. Her family were there for her every step of the way. Maureen lived every day of her short life to the full, in a spirit of goodwill, right to the end.
☺
Results - Baltinglass Outing
1st 38 pts Tommy Deegan 2nd 37 pts Tim Duggan
Yellow ball 36pts Brendan Daly
John Murphy
Tim Duggan
Rumble 77 pts Ciaran Curley
Eoghan Barrett
T Deegan Post
Mystery Team 1st 105 pts
Tommy Deegan
Eoghan Barrett
John Field
2nd 99 pts
Simon Murphy
Michael Horan
Tim Duggan
Ballymore Eustace GAA Club
Juvenile Football & Hurling
An Báile Mór
The News:
Well Christmas is just upon us and I'm sure all the juvenile's have sent Santa their letters and Christmas lists are
made out. With all in hibernation from GAA at the moment I was looking back over the year at the teams that
took part in both football and hurling.
It was fantastic in particular to see the number of different teams that took part in leagues, blitz's, Go-Games,
Community Games, Scoil Mhuire football and hurling teams, Leinster Feile and Co. Championships. U8, U10,
U11 & U12 in hurling, U7, U8, U9, U10, U11, U12, U13 in football and not forgetting St. Oliver Plunketts with
U14, U15, U16, U18, & U21.
Add to that the Summer Camp, the Duck Race,The Family Fun Day, Christmas Disco and the Girls team trip to
Croke Park and what you have here is a lot of families involved in sport.
Of course its very important that kids get out and are involved in sport for many reasons but that really can only
happen because of the commitment of their parents. So to all parents on behalf of the Juvenile committee thank
you for your support, enjoy the break from GAA and have a great Christmas and all the best for 2009. We would
also like to take this opportunity to wish Tim a “Big Happy Birthday” this month.
The Girls in Croke Park
St. Oliver Plunketts U14 in the Leinster Feile Parade
Merry Christmas and a
Happy New Year to All
on passing by- again
Last month I wrote about the death of an innocent young man in Limerick. Government Ministers queued up to tell us that this was an isolated incident and not an attack on an already under siege populace. We were told that this marked a turning point, that things were going to change, that they we not going to put up with it anymore. All the usual pious sentiments filled the airwaves and yet only weeks later we have a fifty year old man murdered by a teenage thug with a pistol. I suppose we will now be told that this is a turning point, a change etc. The usual do-gooders were on to tell us that the gunmen was as much a victim as the dead man and we should force officialdom to ensure that he and his ilk are given all the help they need to become decent caring members of society. Well excuse me if this offends anyone but in my considered opinion that is drivel. Maybe if we hang the killer he will be as much a victim as the dead man. Until then they are just scum who should be rounded up and given the punishment relative to their crimes. When are the rest of us, the so called silent majority, going to be allowed to live our lives as decent caring members of society. Definitely not while these people are allowed control our streets and our fears.
As time goes on I am becoming more and more convinced that among Bertie Ahern’s attributes the most important must surely be his psychic powers. Is it not now obvious that the Tribunal was just an excuse to enable him to make his move to the back benches before the fan was inundated with the you know what. His prescience is absolutely astounding. If only Brian Cowen had his former mentors gift we could be in a totally different situation now. The Government, and us, could have been spared the last few months stumbling from crisis to crisis. I predicted after Berties abdication that Cowen would soon come to know the full horrors of the poisoned chalice he had so gratefully accepted but even I have been taken aback at just how full the chalice actually was.
Has anything gone right for Mr Cowen and his Government since he took over as Taoiseach?
We have seen the scandal of the cancer misdiagnosis rear its ugly head yet again as more women were found to have been given the all clear even though they had cancer.
We have seen what was arguably the worst budget ever brought forward by an Irish Finance Minister, presumably overseen by his boss, a previous Finance Minister. It was riddled with inconsistencies and showed an almost childlike understanding of the problems facing the country, combined with a flawed perspective of the likely outcomes. Did Mr Lenihan really not expect medical card holders to react. Did he think that people on the minimum wage really wouldn’t mind paying tax on an already meagre income. Did he really expect people to back a u-turn on class sizes. We now have a situation where the medical card and tax proposals have effectively been shelved. The Education row rumbles on with constant bad publicity for the Government. It now appears to be official Government policy that anyone shopping in Northern Ireland, despite the savings for people already under pressure, is committing treason. Imagine if Gordon Brown told U.K. citizens not to buy goods manufactured here. There would be justifiable uproar.
Lenihan called his budget “ a call to patriotic action”. Sorry Minister but it was actually more chaotic than patriotic. Perhaps the Minister should be reminded of Samuel Johnsons saying.
“ Patriotism is the last refuge of a scoundrel”.
Cowens sorry tale of woe continued with the Fas scandal. An organisation with an annual budget of over one billion, during a time of record lows in unemployment, was under two separate Garda investigations following allegations of fraud and misuse of public funds. These investigations were fairly low key and excited very little public interested. The amount involved was only in the low millions and, as Minister Dempsey told us in the good times, sure why waste your time worrying about Mickey Mouse money. Then the real information started to flow.
Thousands of euro’s on first class flights for Fas staff and Government officials . Rounds of golf for nine hundred dollars. Nearly nine thousand euro’s for a meal for six in the Shelbourne, including a nine hundred euro tip. Beauty treatments in America. Eighty seven percent of a budget meant to be spent solely on students actually spent on publicity and officials expenses.
Fas Director, Rody Molloy, used the Pat Kenny show to inflict a public hanging on himself. His arrogance was plain to hear as he talked about his “entitlements”. What about the rights and entitlements of the rest of us. At least he had the gumption to resign when the writing on the wall became ominously clear. When was the last time a Minister did that?.
Mr Cowens Health Minister, Mary Harney, continued to pile pressure on the Government when she announced a suspension of the proposed immunisation program for young girls which would have helped to stem a rise in cervical cancer in women. This possibly life saving program was, according to Government figures, to cost in excess of ten million euro and yet the vaccine suppliers said it would only cost sixty per cent of this figure. To compound the lack of joined up Government thinking Silly O’Dea, Minister for Defence, announced at the same time that one of the Government jets was to be upgraded at a cost of nearly eight million euro. Talk about only opening your mouth to change feet.
We are now less than three weeks to Christmas and we can’t find a rasher or sausage on the shelves. Our much vaunted food safety system has decided that shutting the door after the horse has gone is not enough. They have decided to demolish the whole barn! After being promised a quick return of supplies the processors are refusing to slaughter unless the Government indemnifies them for their losses. Going on past experience the Government will probably agree and show the world yet again that the Irish taxpayer is just a giant insurance company.
Finally a very Happy Christmas to all our readers, to my fellow contributors, all our advertisers and Tim and Rose I sincerely hope that the New Year will treat us more kindly than the outgoing one.
All for now. Mike Edmonds.
The late Jim Gaffney
The People’s Photographer
To many readers of The Bugle, the late Jim Gaffney will always be remembered as “The Leinster Leader photographer”, the man in the anorak, quietly taking photographs at a festival parade here in Ballymore or at Punchestown on Walking Sunday. Jim had a varied career before he ‘accidentally’ fell into photography – having submitted a wedding photograph in 1957 to The Leinster Leader, he gradually grew into the role of photographer and was the main supplier of photographs to the newspaper over fifty years, having captured the changing streetscapes of Naas and ‘people pictures’ over the decades. What made Jim different was his total lack of greed or need for acclamation – ie, any local publication, school project or indeed, requests from The Ballymore Bugle – Jim supplied the photographs for publication free of charge and no insistence that he be acknowledged for same.
Jim had a special fondness for Ballymore, his mother, Margaret having been one of the Fisher family from Bishophill. When the Leader requested Jim to take a photograph in Ballymore Eustace, it was likely that only one or two photos would be used – perhaps a GAA awards night, a cheque presentation or festival queen night, Jim arrived on time and waited patiently before the actual shot was taken. We are talking here about a Saturday or Sunday night, with remuneration only from the paper for the couple of prints used. I was embarrassed sometimes having asked him myself to take a picture at an agreed time but several hours later, with speeches and awards running over, Jim was happy to have a glass of stout and sit quietly in the background. “Ah sure, it’s me mother’s country here – I don’t mind waitin’ around, I know plenty…”.
The many memorable scenes he captured on camera of Naas saw him recognised as the recipient of the 2007 Naas Town Council Hall of Fame Award – “A person, I would say who been here at Naas Town Chamber on more occasions than any other citizen of this town.” said Naas Town Councillor, Paddy Behan, also of Naas Local History Group.
“Jim was one of a family of fourteen children born to Margaret and Tom Gaffney; he grew up in the Back Lane immediately behind the Town Hall, at a time when the lane and the streets in the heart of the town, were densely populated with large families, who lived in rows of simple cottages with half doors where everybody knew everybody else in the Naas of the 1930s and ‘40s.
He went to the Moat School and for some time came to school here in The Town Hall when it was used as an overflow classroom for the Moat School. When he finished school, Jim joined the ranks of Kildare Co Council road workers, based mainly in Caragh and throughout the war years, helped surface the roads of West Kildare with the occasional diversion to turf cutting schemes during the emergency era.
Like most young men of the time he enlisted with the LDF (Local Defence Force) and quickly gained repute as a marksman, becoming a member of the North Kildare Battalion’s shooting team. In 1950, he joined the army proper at the Curragh. However, army life in the 1950s was not very exciting and the pay was poor.
So like so many young people of his time, he took the boat to England and joined other family members in Manchester, where he worked on the buses and had vivid memories of the smog there when he often had to walk in front of the bus with a lamp to guide it through the gloom!
From there he moved to Lincolnshire to work in a locomotive building plant and as such, became a member of an engineering team for Britain’s first diesel electric engines. It was here that he made yet another contact with Naas Town Hall when he married his late wife, Kay Doyle from the Town Hall - an occasion which led to his returning to Naas for the wedding of Kay’s brother Tom. It was at this ceremony that Jim was asked to take some photos and, having completed a correspondence course in Manchester, he was happy that his prints were of publishing quality. He duly sent the wedding picture to The Leinster Leader in June 1957 and from there his photographic career began.
When he returned to live in Ireland in 1957, Jim joined the Naas Fire Brigade then based in the Town Hall. Jim remembered a very basic service consisting of a Thames Truck on which a 300 gallon tank was mounted, crew members answering the call of the Klaxon siren on the roof of the Town Hall and heading off to whatever emergency awaited them until his retirement in 1984.
But Jim had many talents - he was a keen angler and a talented player of the mouth organ and played regularly in the Town House Hotel, Naas.
In an interview with Liam Kenny of the Leinster Leader, Jim recalled his early work with the paper was mainly of the social scene around Kildare and West Wicklow: “The main events were the farmers’ dances in Lawlors of Naas and the factory socials such as the Kingswear night in the Downshire Hotel” said Jim.
“Amongst the Leader reporters that Jim worked with were Chris “Scoop” Glennon, politicial correspondent with the Irish Independent for years; Tom Brady, security correspondent also with The Indpendent; the late Nial Hanly, Micahel O’Toole who went on the Evening Press, John Lynch, Liam Kenny and of couse in latter years, with Leader correspondents Joan Walsh, Sylvia Pownall and retired editor, Michael Sheeran.
Despite working with many high profile journalists and meeting heads of state, celebrities, sports stars, Jim remained the same, un-assuming man behind the camera. He has photographed every major event for over fifty years from election counts, awards nights, angry demonstrations to a visiting president or Walking Sunday at Punchestown……….and that’s what was different about Jim Gaffney – he gave as much time to taking a shot of the council lads at work as he did taking the Mayor on duty in the Council Chambers. He would pay the same attention to senior citizens at their annual party as he would to the fashionistas on Ladies Day. For children participating in Ballymore Festival Parade who shouted “Take me, take me!” he duly obliged, knowing full well, he would only get paid for what went to press.
Before our own Chris took up the camera, Jim happily supplied us with photographs in The Bugle of local events but is for his work as a photographer with The Leinster Leader that he is best remembered. In latter years, his handwriting was a tad shaky and when I would ask Jim if it was Kate, Kitty or Kay on the caption, he would look bemused and say “What do you think yourself?”
As Paddy Behan said in presenting Jim with his 2007 Naas Town Council Hall of Fame Award; “A modest man whose pictures of people, places and things have graced the walls and mantelpieces of our homes and the pages of our local paper for the past 50 years”.
Had Jim charged or claimed copyright of his work over the years, he would indeed have been a wealthy man but that was not his style. He enjoyed his work, as much meeting the people as he did making a study of them on camera.
We extend our sympathy to his son Ger and members of the Gaffney and Fisher family. May he rest in peace, amen.
Rose B O Donoghue
Our thanks to Paddy Behan, Stan Hickey, Liam Kenny of Naas Local History Group and Maggie Fisher for assistance with this tribute.
Last month I wrote about the death of an innocent young man in Limerick. Government Ministers queued up to tell us that this was an isolated incident and not an attack on an already under siege populace. We were told that this marked a turning point, that things were going to change, that they we not going to put up with it anymore. All the usual pious sentiments filled the airwaves and yet only weeks later we have a fifty year old man murdered by a teenage thug with a pistol. I suppose we will now be told that this is a turning point, a change etc. The usual do-gooders were on to tell us that the gunmen was as much a victim as the dead man and we should force officialdom to ensure that he and his ilk are given all the help they need to become decent caring members of society. Well excuse me if this offends anyone but in my considered opinion that is drivel. Maybe if we hang the killer he will be as much a victim as the dead man. Until then they are just scum who should be rounded up and given the punishment relative to their crimes. When are the rest of us, the so called silent majority, going to be allowed to live our lives as decent caring members of society. Definitely not while these people are allowed control our streets and our fears.
As time goes on I am becoming more and more convinced that among Bertie Ahern’s attributes the most important must surely be his psychic powers. Is it not now obvious that the Tribunal was just an excuse to enable him to make his move to the back benches before the fan was inundated with the you know what. His prescience is absolutely astounding. If only Brian Cowen had his former mentors gift we could be in a totally different situation now. The Government, and us, could have been spared the last few months stumbling from crisis to crisis. I predicted after Berties abdication that Cowen would soon come to know the full horrors of the poisoned chalice he had so gratefully accepted but even I have been taken aback at just how full the chalice actually was.
Has anything gone right for Mr Cowen and his Government since he took over as Taoiseach?
We have seen the scandal of the cancer misdiagnosis rear its ugly head yet again as more women were found to have been given the all clear even though they had cancer.
We have seen what was arguably the worst budget ever brought forward by an Irish Finance Minister, presumably overseen by his boss, a previous Finance Minister. It was riddled with inconsistencies and showed an almost childlike understanding of the problems facing the country, combined with a flawed perspective of the likely outcomes. Did Mr Lenihan really not expect medical card holders to react. Did he think that people on the minimum wage really wouldn’t mind paying tax on an already meagre income. Did he really expect people to back a u-turn on class sizes. We now have a situation where the medical card and tax proposals have effectively been shelved. The Education row rumbles on with constant bad publicity for the Government. It now appears to be official Government policy that anyone shopping in Northern Ireland, despite the savings for people already under pressure, is committing treason. Imagine if Gordon Brown told U.K. citizens not to buy goods manufactured here. There would be justifiable uproar.
Lenihan called his budget “ a call to patriotic action”. Sorry Minister but it was actually more chaotic than patriotic. Perhaps the Minister should be reminded of Samuel Johnsons saying.
“ Patriotism is the last refuge of a scoundrel”.
Cowens sorry tale of woe continued with the Fas scandal. An organisation with an annual budget of over one billion, during a time of record lows in unemployment, was under two separate Garda investigations following allegations of fraud and misuse of public funds. These investigations were fairly low key and excited very little public interested. The amount involved was only in the low millions and, as Minister Dempsey told us in the good times, sure why waste your time worrying about Mickey Mouse money. Then the real information started to flow.
Thousands of euro’s on first class flights for Fas staff and Government officials . Rounds of golf for nine hundred dollars. Nearly nine thousand euro’s for a meal for six in the Shelbourne, including a nine hundred euro tip. Beauty treatments in America. Eighty seven percent of a budget meant to be spent solely on students actually spent on publicity and officials expenses.
Fas Director, Rody Molloy, used the Pat Kenny show to inflict a public hanging on himself. His arrogance was plain to hear as he talked about his “entitlements”. What about the rights and entitlements of the rest of us. At least he had the gumption to resign when the writing on the wall became ominously clear. When was the last time a Minister did that?.
Mr Cowens Health Minister, Mary Harney, continued to pile pressure on the Government when she announced a suspension of the proposed immunisation program for young girls which would have helped to stem a rise in cervical cancer in women. This possibly life saving program was, according to Government figures, to cost in excess of ten million euro and yet the vaccine suppliers said it would only cost sixty per cent of this figure. To compound the lack of joined up Government thinking Silly O’Dea, Minister for Defence, announced at the same time that one of the Government jets was to be upgraded at a cost of nearly eight million euro. Talk about only opening your mouth to change feet.
We are now less than three weeks to Christmas and we can’t find a rasher or sausage on the shelves. Our much vaunted food safety system has decided that shutting the door after the horse has gone is not enough. They have decided to demolish the whole barn! After being promised a quick return of supplies the processors are refusing to slaughter unless the Government indemnifies them for their losses. Going on past experience the Government will probably agree and show the world yet again that the Irish taxpayer is just a giant insurance company.
Finally a very Happy Christmas to all our readers, to my fellow contributors, all our advertisers and Tim and Rose I sincerely hope that the New Year will treat us more kindly than the outgoing one.
All for now. Mike Edmonds.
The late Jim Gaffney
The People’s Photographer
To many readers of The Bugle, the late Jim Gaffney will always be remembered as “The Leinster Leader photographer”, the man in the anorak, quietly taking photographs at a festival parade here in Ballymore or at Punchestown on Walking Sunday. Jim had a varied career before he ‘accidentally’ fell into photography – having submitted a wedding photograph in 1957 to The Leinster Leader, he gradually grew into the role of photographer and was the main supplier of photographs to the newspaper over fifty years, having captured the changing streetscapes of Naas and ‘people pictures’ over the decades. What made Jim different was his total lack of greed or need for acclamation – ie, any local publication, school project or indeed, requests from The Ballymore Bugle – Jim supplied the photographs for publication free of charge and no insistence that he be acknowledged for same.
Jim had a special fondness for Ballymore, his mother, Margaret having been one of the Fisher family from Bishophill. When the Leader requested Jim to take a photograph in Ballymore Eustace, it was likely that only one or two photos would be used – perhaps a GAA awards night, a cheque presentation or festival queen night, Jim arrived on time and waited patiently before the actual shot was taken. We are talking here about a Saturday or Sunday night, with remuneration only from the paper for the couple of prints used. I was embarrassed sometimes having asked him myself to take a picture at an agreed time but several hours later, with speeches and awards running over, Jim was happy to have a glass of stout and sit quietly in the background. “Ah sure, it’s me mother’s country here – I don’t mind waitin’ around, I know plenty…”.
The many memorable scenes he captured on camera of Naas saw him recognised as the recipient of the 2007 Naas Town Council Hall of Fame Award – “A person, I would say who been here at Naas Town Chamber on more occasions than any other citizen of this town.” said Naas Town Councillor, Paddy Behan, also of Naas Local History Group.
“Jim was one of a family of fourteen children born to Margaret and Tom Gaffney; he grew up in the Back Lane immediately behind the Town Hall, at a time when the lane and the streets in the heart of the town, were densely populated with large families, who lived in rows of simple cottages with half doors where everybody knew everybody else in the Naas of the 1930s and ‘40s.
He went to the Moat School and for some time came to school here in The Town Hall when it was used as an overflow classroom for the Moat School. When he finished school, Jim joined the ranks of Kildare Co Council road workers, based mainly in Caragh and throughout the war years, helped surface the roads of West Kildare with the occasional diversion to turf cutting schemes during the emergency era.
Like most young men of the time he enlisted with the LDF (Local Defence Force) and quickly gained repute as a marksman, becoming a member of the North Kildare Battalion’s shooting team. In 1950, he joined the army proper at the Curragh. However, army life in the 1950s was not very exciting and the pay was poor.
So like so many young people of his time, he took the boat to England and joined other family members in Manchester, where he worked on the buses and had vivid memories of the smog there when he often had to walk in front of the bus with a lamp to guide it through the gloom!
From there he moved to Lincolnshire to work in a locomotive building plant and as such, became a member of an engineering team for Britain’s first diesel electric engines. It was here that he made yet another contact with Naas Town Hall when he married his late wife, Kay Doyle from the Town Hall - an occasion which led to his returning to Naas for the wedding of Kay’s brother Tom. It was at this ceremony that Jim was asked to take some photos and, having completed a correspondence course in Manchester, he was happy that his prints were of publishing quality. He duly sent the wedding picture to The Leinster Leader in June 1957 and from there his photographic career began.
When he returned to live in Ireland in 1957, Jim joined the Naas Fire Brigade then based in the Town Hall. Jim remembered a very basic service consisting of a Thames Truck on which a 300 gallon tank was mounted, crew members answering the call of the Klaxon siren on the roof of the Town Hall and heading off to whatever emergency awaited them until his retirement in 1984.
But Jim had many talents - he was a keen angler and a talented player of the mouth organ and played regularly in the Town House Hotel, Naas.
In an interview with Liam Kenny of the Leinster Leader, Jim recalled his early work with the paper was mainly of the social scene around Kildare and West Wicklow: “The main events were the farmers’ dances in Lawlors of Naas and the factory socials such as the Kingswear night in the Downshire Hotel” said Jim.
“Amongst the Leader reporters that Jim worked with were Chris “Scoop” Glennon, politicial correspondent with the Irish Independent for years; Tom Brady, security correspondent also with The Indpendent; the late Nial Hanly, Micahel O’Toole who went on the Evening Press, John Lynch, Liam Kenny and of couse in latter years, with Leader correspondents Joan Walsh, Sylvia Pownall and retired editor, Michael Sheeran.
Despite working with many high profile journalists and meeting heads of state, celebrities, sports stars, Jim remained the same, un-assuming man behind the camera. He has photographed every major event for over fifty years from election counts, awards nights, angry demonstrations to a visiting president or Walking Sunday at Punchestown……….and that’s what was different about Jim Gaffney – he gave as much time to taking a shot of the council lads at work as he did taking the Mayor on duty in the Council Chambers. He would pay the same attention to senior citizens at their annual party as he would to the fashionistas on Ladies Day. For children participating in Ballymore Festival Parade who shouted “Take me, take me!” he duly obliged, knowing full well, he would only get paid for what went to press.
Before our own Chris took up the camera, Jim happily supplied us with photographs in The Bugle of local events but is for his work as a photographer with The Leinster Leader that he is best remembered. In latter years, his handwriting was a tad shaky and when I would ask Jim if it was Kate, Kitty or Kay on the caption, he would look bemused and say “What do you think yourself?”
As Paddy Behan said in presenting Jim with his 2007 Naas Town Council Hall of Fame Award; “A modest man whose pictures of people, places and things have graced the walls and mantelpieces of our homes and the pages of our local paper for the past 50 years”.
Had Jim charged or claimed copyright of his work over the years, he would indeed have been a wealthy man but that was not his style. He enjoyed his work, as much meeting the people as he did making a study of them on camera.
We extend our sympathy to his son Ger and members of the Gaffney and Fisher family. May he rest in peace, amen.
Rose B O Donoghue
Our thanks to Paddy Behan, Stan Hickey, Liam Kenny of Naas Local History Group and Maggie Fisher for assistance with this tribute.
The Immortal Francesca da Rimini
The da Polenta and the da Rimini were two warring families with substantial lands on the Adriatic coast of Italy, and on the cessation of further unnecessary violence between them, it was agreed that a marriage would take place between Francesca, the very beautiful daughter of Guido da Polenta of Ravenna, and Gianciotto Malatesta (the lame), son of the ruler of Rimini. Along with her dowry, the union would both greatly increase and further protect the territory already controlled by the Malatestas.
Gianciotta, as well as being lame, was markedly ugly, and rather than expose himself to outright rejection in pursuit of his bethrothred, he sent his more presentable and handsome brother Paolo to Ravenna to complete the final arrangements by proxy, so confusing matters, and to return with her to Rimini as her escort. But Francesca had fallen instantly in love with Paolo. The die was now cast, a mark of eternal love, close to the Rubicon, the river crossed by Caesar on his way to seize Rome declaring, “Iacta alea est”.
On the morning after her arrival at Rimini, Francesca awoke, horrified to find Gianciotto beside her, and fled for safety within the castle. Time passed, and while the two lovers could only meet infrequently, these assignations, while tender and intimate, were restrained only for want of circumstance. Some time later, when Francesca and Paolo were together reading the dreamy tales of The Knights of The Round Table, the precious moment came. Those stories of courtly love, new to the world, written so skillfully by Chrietienne de Troyes for Marie De Champagne, told of chivalry, of acts of gallantry and especially of the affair between Queen Guinevere and Sir Lancelot. Enchanted by a relationship so affined to their own, heightened by infatuation and ignited to ecstasy, Francesca and Paolo’s eyes met, spellbound, and in swirling emotions, she surrendered to a kiss. ** Photo ‘The Kiss’ and caption to go here**
Unknown to them, they were seen by one of Gianciotto’s servants who relayed the drama to his master. Without delay Gianciotto came upon them, and with sword drawn lunged at Paolo with mortal intent. Francesca came between the two brothers attempting to calm the terrible scene just as Gianciotto swung his sword, fatally wounding her, and in that same madness he thrust it forward, killing Paolo.
In canto five of Il Inferno, Dante met with Francesca and Paolo, still embraced together but ever tossed about by the black winds of Hell. Dante enquired; “…Francesca, your afflictions/move me to tears of sorrow and of pity……in what way did love allow you/To recognize your still uncertain longings.”
Francesca replied; “…..time and time again that reading led/our eyes to meet, and made our faces pale,/and yet one point alone defeated us.
“When we had read how the desired smile/was kissed by one who was so true a lover,/this one, this one who never shall be parted from me,/while all his body trembled, kissed my mouth…..that day we read no more”
Dante was a friend of Francesca’s uncle, Guido Novello (the younger) of Ravenna, with whom he stayed as a guest in the latter years, until his death in 1321 Why then, should he consign Francesca to Hell, even if to a more temperate region, when he found it so convenient to allow others known to him to be very vile persons indeed, to reside in Purgatory? Even if Francesca was guilty of sin, it was surely more venial than mortal, since theirs was an actual demonstration of truth in reality, a mutual love, shared equally, bearing truth which is in itself passion, not merely lust, and since by her nature and past life she would have been penitent, but that death was so suddenly visited upon her. It was harsh judgement, and perhaps is why painters emphasize his inquisitive nose while exonerating Francesca.
The story of this dramatic scene by one of the six greatest figures in world literature, raised Francesco da Rimini to immortality, celebrated in symphony by Tchaikovsky, commemorated in two operas by Rachmaninoff and Zandonai, magnificiently memorialized in marble by Rodin, in painting and drawing by Sandro Botticelli, Dore, Blake, Watts, Scheffer, Ingres and a host of others including poets (Seamus Heaney) and playwrights, each and every one of them an act in defence of her reputation, sullied by a cruel hoax. Francesca died aged 30, in 1285. At that time, Dante was 20 years old.
Dante’s Hell: (Il Inferno) is a most doleful place from where no escape is possible, ever. Imprisoned here are those who die without repenting before death. It is divided into nine concentric circles of absolute doom, where punishments successively outdo one another in depravities. To simplify matters, Hell has four regions;
Upper Hell: where those who commit Sins of The Leopard are kept, and include ones guilty of
Incontinence (lack of self restraint), Lust, Gluttony, Waste Hoarders, The Wrathful.
Nether Hell 1: Sins of the Lion, include Violence and Heresy.
Nether Hell 11: Sins of The Wolf – Fraudsters of every sort and may include for instance, some
of those before the Mahon Tribunal
Nether Hell 111: Giants, and Traitors, all…to kith, kin and country; and the Emperor of Hell,
Satan, waist deep in ice so cold that no Hell fire can melt even a tear drop.
Dante’s Purgatory: is based on the seven deadly sins and is more benign in that it is a state of purification, which although fierce, is never as bad as Hell itself. The worst suffering is the length of time spent there, so depriving them of the presence of God. It is the residence of souls who while on earth repented their sins before death. Cantos 28-33 bring the soul ethereally from (if one might consider the thought imaginatively) the wonderfully scenic Glen of Imaal to the cleansing waters of the Liffey at Ballymore Eustace, the Earthly Paradise, known to us from The Book of Genesis as the Garden of Eden! Those six cantos are among the most beautiful passages of literature ever written, and from which Botticelli captured a pattern for La Primevera.
In 1965, the Italian Cultural Institute sponsored an exhibition in Dublin, celebrating the 700th anniversary of the birth of Dante Alighieri by inviting members of the Royal Hibernian Academy to participate and submit three artistic impressions, drawn from each of the three books of The Divine Comedy – Il Inferno, Purgatorio, Paradiso. Twenty two artists including six ladies took part, submitting a total of forty two works. Interestingly, of the 42 works, 34 were based on the Sins of The Lion in Nether Hell 1, including four female works. On the other hand, seven participants used Purgatory as their theme, including one male (envy), and six female (one for envy, one for gluttony, with the four others happy, between cantos 28-33, resting in the Garden of Earthly Paradise. Hallelujah!
It was really a pity that Jack Yeats was unavailable (in Paradise at the time, died 1957), for he would have added powerful influence and much imaginative thought to the project. Nevertheless, it was a very interesting exercise, and revealed as much about the artists as it did about the subject matters chosen.
In similar mode, Jackie O’Neill, who teaches art classes in Ballymore for beginners, and is joined by other experienced artists of like mind, held an exhibition of members and non-members works at The Ballymore Inn, during November of last year. Few people realized that so many accomplished artists were within our midst, and it proved to be a hugely impressive show of local talent – the variations of theme brought a montage of scenery, of images and impressionisms with some brilliant colour co-ordination. The structural layout of the compositions was very impressive, along with the all-important detail which gives life and expression, and one could not but be aware of the potential that exists here. Thankfully that is already being fostered.
Mention of this is no idle thought, for it gives cause and reason to wonder if at Jackie’s next exhibition here, such a project as that proposed and sponsored by the Italian Institute (or by an alternative sponsor), could be considered suitable as a special theme within the broader programme. If for no other reason than that it would tend to concentrate on a specific subject and having seen the capabilities already displayed, utilizing Dante should not pose insurmountable challenges; for although many of the Dantean scenes are clouded in darkness or are of ghostly visage (shades), imagination can lift veils from those shadows and produce a more enlightening form of imagery than that offered in 1965. It could prove to be a well-suited intellectual adventure into the infinities of the nether world and interpretive art with a grand objective. However, the cost may be prohibitive, but if anyone could arrange it, she could. Just a thought!
Is Hell Exothermic or Endothermic?
That question arose in the Irish Times recently under The Magpie column and seems related in a certain fashion to canto V, above. It asks if hell is over-heating or about to freeze altogether.
A professor at an American university posed the question to a class of chemical engineering students, asking that they support their answer with proof. Most of them quoted Boyle’s Law to resolve the question, but one very smart student responded with an unusual, if personable theory.
‘First we need to know how the mass of hell is changing with time, and at what rate souls are moving into or out of hell,’ but allowed that there was no escape, ever, so to find out the rate of new entrants, it was necessary to look at different religions.
Most religions agree that if you are not one of their members, you go to hell. ‘Since there is more than one of these religions and since people do not belong to more than one religion, we can project that all souls go to hell. With birth and death rates as they are, we can expect the number of souls in hell to increase exponentially. Now, if we look at the rate of change of the volume in hell, because Boyle’s Law states that in order for the temperature and pressure in hell to stay the same, the volume of hell has to expand proportionately as souls are added. This gives two possibilities: A. If hell is expanding at a slower rate than the rate at which souls enter hell, then the temperature and pressure in hell will increase until all hell breaks loose. B. If hell is expanding at a rate faster than the increase of souls in hell, then the temperature and pressure will drop until hell freezes over.
‘So which is it? If we accept the postulate given to me by Teresa during my freshman year that, ‘It will be a cold day in hell before I sleep with you,’ and take into account the fact that I slept with her last night, then number two must be true, and thus I am sure that hell is exothermic and has already frozen over.
‘ The corollary of this theory is that since hell has frozen over, it follows that it is not accepting any more souls and is therefore, extinct….leaving only heaven, thereby proving the existence of a divine being which explains why, last night, Teresa kept shouting, ‘Oh my God!’.’
Happy Christmas. Michael Ward .
The da Polenta and the da Rimini were two warring families with substantial lands on the Adriatic coast of Italy, and on the cessation of further unnecessary violence between them, it was agreed that a marriage would take place between Francesca, the very beautiful daughter of Guido da Polenta of Ravenna, and Gianciotto Malatesta (the lame), son of the ruler of Rimini. Along with her dowry, the union would both greatly increase and further protect the territory already controlled by the Malatestas.
Gianciotta, as well as being lame, was markedly ugly, and rather than expose himself to outright rejection in pursuit of his bethrothred, he sent his more presentable and handsome brother Paolo to Ravenna to complete the final arrangements by proxy, so confusing matters, and to return with her to Rimini as her escort. But Francesca had fallen instantly in love with Paolo. The die was now cast, a mark of eternal love, close to the Rubicon, the river crossed by Caesar on his way to seize Rome declaring, “Iacta alea est”.
On the morning after her arrival at Rimini, Francesca awoke, horrified to find Gianciotto beside her, and fled for safety within the castle. Time passed, and while the two lovers could only meet infrequently, these assignations, while tender and intimate, were restrained only for want of circumstance. Some time later, when Francesca and Paolo were together reading the dreamy tales of The Knights of The Round Table, the precious moment came. Those stories of courtly love, new to the world, written so skillfully by Chrietienne de Troyes for Marie De Champagne, told of chivalry, of acts of gallantry and especially of the affair between Queen Guinevere and Sir Lancelot. Enchanted by a relationship so affined to their own, heightened by infatuation and ignited to ecstasy, Francesca and Paolo’s eyes met, spellbound, and in swirling emotions, she surrendered to a kiss. ** Photo ‘The Kiss’ and caption to go here**
Unknown to them, they were seen by one of Gianciotto’s servants who relayed the drama to his master. Without delay Gianciotto came upon them, and with sword drawn lunged at Paolo with mortal intent. Francesca came between the two brothers attempting to calm the terrible scene just as Gianciotto swung his sword, fatally wounding her, and in that same madness he thrust it forward, killing Paolo.
In canto five of Il Inferno, Dante met with Francesca and Paolo, still embraced together but ever tossed about by the black winds of Hell. Dante enquired; “…Francesca, your afflictions/move me to tears of sorrow and of pity……in what way did love allow you/To recognize your still uncertain longings.”
Francesca replied; “…..time and time again that reading led/our eyes to meet, and made our faces pale,/and yet one point alone defeated us.
“When we had read how the desired smile/was kissed by one who was so true a lover,/this one, this one who never shall be parted from me,/while all his body trembled, kissed my mouth…..that day we read no more”
Dante was a friend of Francesca’s uncle, Guido Novello (the younger) of Ravenna, with whom he stayed as a guest in the latter years, until his death in 1321 Why then, should he consign Francesca to Hell, even if to a more temperate region, when he found it so convenient to allow others known to him to be very vile persons indeed, to reside in Purgatory? Even if Francesca was guilty of sin, it was surely more venial than mortal, since theirs was an actual demonstration of truth in reality, a mutual love, shared equally, bearing truth which is in itself passion, not merely lust, and since by her nature and past life she would have been penitent, but that death was so suddenly visited upon her. It was harsh judgement, and perhaps is why painters emphasize his inquisitive nose while exonerating Francesca.
The story of this dramatic scene by one of the six greatest figures in world literature, raised Francesco da Rimini to immortality, celebrated in symphony by Tchaikovsky, commemorated in two operas by Rachmaninoff and Zandonai, magnificiently memorialized in marble by Rodin, in painting and drawing by Sandro Botticelli, Dore, Blake, Watts, Scheffer, Ingres and a host of others including poets (Seamus Heaney) and playwrights, each and every one of them an act in defence of her reputation, sullied by a cruel hoax. Francesca died aged 30, in 1285. At that time, Dante was 20 years old.
Dante’s Hell: (Il Inferno) is a most doleful place from where no escape is possible, ever. Imprisoned here are those who die without repenting before death. It is divided into nine concentric circles of absolute doom, where punishments successively outdo one another in depravities. To simplify matters, Hell has four regions;
Upper Hell: where those who commit Sins of The Leopard are kept, and include ones guilty of
Incontinence (lack of self restraint), Lust, Gluttony, Waste Hoarders, The Wrathful.
Nether Hell 1: Sins of the Lion, include Violence and Heresy.
Nether Hell 11: Sins of The Wolf – Fraudsters of every sort and may include for instance, some
of those before the Mahon Tribunal
Nether Hell 111: Giants, and Traitors, all…to kith, kin and country; and the Emperor of Hell,
Satan, waist deep in ice so cold that no Hell fire can melt even a tear drop.
Dante’s Purgatory: is based on the seven deadly sins and is more benign in that it is a state of purification, which although fierce, is never as bad as Hell itself. The worst suffering is the length of time spent there, so depriving them of the presence of God. It is the residence of souls who while on earth repented their sins before death. Cantos 28-33 bring the soul ethereally from (if one might consider the thought imaginatively) the wonderfully scenic Glen of Imaal to the cleansing waters of the Liffey at Ballymore Eustace, the Earthly Paradise, known to us from The Book of Genesis as the Garden of Eden! Those six cantos are among the most beautiful passages of literature ever written, and from which Botticelli captured a pattern for La Primevera.
In 1965, the Italian Cultural Institute sponsored an exhibition in Dublin, celebrating the 700th anniversary of the birth of Dante Alighieri by inviting members of the Royal Hibernian Academy to participate and submit three artistic impressions, drawn from each of the three books of The Divine Comedy – Il Inferno, Purgatorio, Paradiso. Twenty two artists including six ladies took part, submitting a total of forty two works. Interestingly, of the 42 works, 34 were based on the Sins of The Lion in Nether Hell 1, including four female works. On the other hand, seven participants used Purgatory as their theme, including one male (envy), and six female (one for envy, one for gluttony, with the four others happy, between cantos 28-33, resting in the Garden of Earthly Paradise. Hallelujah!
It was really a pity that Jack Yeats was unavailable (in Paradise at the time, died 1957), for he would have added powerful influence and much imaginative thought to the project. Nevertheless, it was a very interesting exercise, and revealed as much about the artists as it did about the subject matters chosen.
In similar mode, Jackie O’Neill, who teaches art classes in Ballymore for beginners, and is joined by other experienced artists of like mind, held an exhibition of members and non-members works at The Ballymore Inn, during November of last year. Few people realized that so many accomplished artists were within our midst, and it proved to be a hugely impressive show of local talent – the variations of theme brought a montage of scenery, of images and impressionisms with some brilliant colour co-ordination. The structural layout of the compositions was very impressive, along with the all-important detail which gives life and expression, and one could not but be aware of the potential that exists here. Thankfully that is already being fostered.
Mention of this is no idle thought, for it gives cause and reason to wonder if at Jackie’s next exhibition here, such a project as that proposed and sponsored by the Italian Institute (or by an alternative sponsor), could be considered suitable as a special theme within the broader programme. If for no other reason than that it would tend to concentrate on a specific subject and having seen the capabilities already displayed, utilizing Dante should not pose insurmountable challenges; for although many of the Dantean scenes are clouded in darkness or are of ghostly visage (shades), imagination can lift veils from those shadows and produce a more enlightening form of imagery than that offered in 1965. It could prove to be a well-suited intellectual adventure into the infinities of the nether world and interpretive art with a grand objective. However, the cost may be prohibitive, but if anyone could arrange it, she could. Just a thought!
Is Hell Exothermic or Endothermic?
That question arose in the Irish Times recently under The Magpie column and seems related in a certain fashion to canto V, above. It asks if hell is over-heating or about to freeze altogether.
A professor at an American university posed the question to a class of chemical engineering students, asking that they support their answer with proof. Most of them quoted Boyle’s Law to resolve the question, but one very smart student responded with an unusual, if personable theory.
‘First we need to know how the mass of hell is changing with time, and at what rate souls are moving into or out of hell,’ but allowed that there was no escape, ever, so to find out the rate of new entrants, it was necessary to look at different religions.
Most religions agree that if you are not one of their members, you go to hell. ‘Since there is more than one of these religions and since people do not belong to more than one religion, we can project that all souls go to hell. With birth and death rates as they are, we can expect the number of souls in hell to increase exponentially. Now, if we look at the rate of change of the volume in hell, because Boyle’s Law states that in order for the temperature and pressure in hell to stay the same, the volume of hell has to expand proportionately as souls are added. This gives two possibilities: A. If hell is expanding at a slower rate than the rate at which souls enter hell, then the temperature and pressure in hell will increase until all hell breaks loose. B. If hell is expanding at a rate faster than the increase of souls in hell, then the temperature and pressure will drop until hell freezes over.
‘So which is it? If we accept the postulate given to me by Teresa during my freshman year that, ‘It will be a cold day in hell before I sleep with you,’ and take into account the fact that I slept with her last night, then number two must be true, and thus I am sure that hell is exothermic and has already frozen over.
‘ The corollary of this theory is that since hell has frozen over, it follows that it is not accepting any more souls and is therefore, extinct….leaving only heaven, thereby proving the existence of a divine being which explains why, last night, Teresa kept shouting, ‘Oh my God!’.’
Happy Christmas. Michael Ward .
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