Ballymore Eustace GAA Club
Juvenile Football & Hurling
An Báile Mór
The News: Congratulations to the St. Oliver Plunkett's team on their victory over St. Edwards in the Co. Minor
Championship Final. The girls teams have had a great month and the hurlers were involved in the Co. Development Squad.
The Juvenile Family Fun day which marks the end of the Juvenile year was held on Sat. 18th Oct and with the weather
holding up for the afternoon it was all go in the field. The day kicked off with the U11 girls playing Nurney while at the
same time the U7's played their last league match and U9, U10, U11, & U12's took part in hurling skills.
Natasha, Simon, David and Dermot were on barbecue duty making sure that everyone was well fed and as the different
teams finished their league matches others took part in the football skills. Also thanks to Johnny Murphy and John Fields
for a welcome hand with the burger run ! A fine display of juvenile hurling finished off the juvenile activates for the day.
Prizes were presented for hurling & football skills and teams were presented with medals and lots of goodie's
Although not advertised and after the dust had settled there was a dad's hurling match (in the dark) which really impressed.
Unfortunately many of the mom's had left and were too scarce on the ground to play a mom's match (next year though).
Ballymore GAA A.G.M.
On:Sunday 14th of December
At: 5pm
In: The Resource Centre,
Ballymore Eustace.
All Welcome to attend.
The club had a race day in Punchestown on Saturday the 15th of November. Thank you to everybody for their support on the day and hope you all enjoyed the day’s racing. The Oliver Plunketts Minor team won the Minor 'B' championship on a scoreline of 1-11 to 0-11. They defeated St. Edwards in a great match at Newbridge GAA Grounds. Congratulations to the local lads involved - Gareth Clarke, Keith Fennell, Mark Murphy, Micheal Tutty and Brian MurphyThe Oliver Plunketts U21 team were to disappointed to lose their championship match by a point and are now knocked out of the competition
Order Now For Christmas!Juvenile training tops are available for €20, Adult T-Shirt for €30 and rain jackets for €35. Contact any of the committee members.The lights will be turned on in the pitch at 8 30 for the walkers each night. All are welcome to use the facilities but please leave a donation to cover the cost of the electricity.
_______________________________________________________________________
Letter to the Editor:
As a public representative, I have been doing local clinics since I was elected back in 2004.
With the new boundary changes, Ballymore Eustace, Kilcullen and Nurney will be joining the Athy Electoral Area in the upcoming elections.
Due to this change, I have altered my community clinics to make my services available to these areas.
On the 2nd Wednesday of every month, the clinics will be as follows:
Ballymore Eustace - The Ballymore Inn, 6pm::
Kilcullen – Fallons, 6.45pm
Crookstown/Ballitore - Crookstown Inn, 8pm
Athy - Frank O’Briens, 8.45pm
Nurney - Martins Kildoon, 9.30pm
I look forward to meeting with the people from these areas for any important or personal issues in which they would like to discuss with me.
I am also available on 087 399 8478 or by appointment for a clinic at my home.
Cllr Martin Miley FF
__________________________________________________________________
Scoil Mhuire News
The last week in October was the annual anti-bullying week and all classes undertook artistic and project work on the theme. 6th class are trained as mediators and they assist the teachers in the junior yard daily in solving conflict and teaching younger pupils how to overcome difficulties in their relationships. 4th and 5th classes participated in an anti-bullying workshop with a facilitator from the theatre company "Sticks and Stones" and this was financed by the annual donation to the school from Ragusa Stud.
68 pupils from 3rd to 6th will be on stage for the school concert which takes place on December 10th and 11th telling the bible story of Joseph and his multi-coloured coat. Leading parts of the narrator and Joseph are being played by Heather Sammon and Joshua Burke-Hayes. The Green-school environmental committee, under the direction of Siobhan Barr, is eagerly preparing for their examination to see if we can win our second green flag for the theme "Energy". Parents are helping in this regard by logging on to the internet and providing us with their "carbon number". The committee has also been busy looking after flower beds, pots and the bird-sanctuary.
The "Armagh Rhymers" perform their annual show on November 21st and on November 19th, the staff and Board of management will have a joint meeting in the new staffroom where Gerard O'Rourke has generously donated a beautiful new kitchen which has greatly enhanced the staff meeting and planning facilities at the school. Parent/teacher meetings will take place on Novemeber 25th and 26th with the annual book week taking place in the library on the first week in Decemeber. 6th class were invited to take part in Science week in St. Kevin's Community College, Dunlavin where they assisted the older pupils in interesting experiments and had an opportunity to view the fantastic facilities now available at the college.
Saturday, December 27, 2008
In Search of Francesca da Rimini (Part 1.)
Europe was slowly emerging from the dark ages and one of the few glimmerings of enlightenment was to be found in France in the south western area of Aquitaine, at Provence. There, under the rule of the Counts of Toulouse, the economy expanded and with it, the culture of its people developed and flourished in literature, learning, art and music. It was too, a period of relative peace conditioned by strong leadership.
Count William 1X of Poitiers was one of the earliest, most successful and celebrated members of the Troubadours, whose poetry and wistful songs of unrequited love were a part of the golden age, whose riches, both economic and social, were later to be decimated and its people massacred by the jealousies of other incompetent and troubled state rulers in Europe under the guise of religious persecution, by name, the Albigensian crusade – as Charles Macaulay pointed out in his review of Von Ranke’s History of the Popes… “Provence was once the most opulent and enlightened part of the greater European family.”
When Eleanor of Aquitaine inherited the duchy on the death of her father, William X in 1137, she married within a few months, LouisV11, King of France, bringing, but not parting with those domains nor the intrigues by which they were first gained. By Louis, she bore two daughters, Marie and Alix. She held court at Poitiers as patron of arts, maintaining the mannerisms, styles and culture of her forebears, including the traditions of the Troubadours, of wandering minstrels, of song and of love.
In 1152, the marriage to Louis was annulled, and hardly without pause, Eleanor accepted the hand of marriage from Henry 11 of England that same year, grounding the union by her dowry, Aquitaine.
Henry and Eleanor had eight children, five boys and two girls, of whom Richard and John would be kings. Their daughter Leanora, married Alphonse of Castile, and their daughter, Blanche, in a union arranged by Eleanor, her grandmother, she wed King Louis V111 of France and so became mother of the famous crusader, King (Saint) Louis 1X.
But it is to Marie, Countess of Champagne, where the link to Francesca da Rimini is to be found. Like her mother Eleanor, Marie was a vivacious person, an avid patron of arts and of all things which made life not just more bearable, but exciting and enjoyable, while at the same time maintaining similar traditions at her court at Troyes, as Eleanor had at Poitiers. At her court, she was joined by two of the most famous trouveres of the time, Chretienne de Troyes, previously a retainer of Eleanor; and Andreas Capellanus, author of De Amore, or, The Art of Courtly Love, a code of conduct governing passion and desire in polite society.
In her enthusiasm, she had Chretiennes compose stories (c.1185) on themes of her own gloriously fertile imagination, if not her feats of feral ingenuity; scenes of chivalry by Knights of The Round Table, of unbelievable heroism, of bravery beyond the call of duty, but above all else, of the knight’s honour - well, at least until m’lady in distress surrendered her feigned protests to gratitude, and Endymion’s eternal flame of love.
It is how the stories of Sir Lancelot and Queen Guinevere came to be loved and revered, and became a format for a succession of epic love stories which melted the hearts of young men and women throughout the ages of time. Thoughts, imaginative, pictured in the mind, dangling tantalizingly, ever so close… by such tales were passions aroused.
One hundred years later, 1285, after Marie de Campagne’s tale of Lancelot and Guinevere was written, a love story of heart-breaking proportions came to light in Italy concerning two companions, Francesca da Polenta (Rimini) and Paolo Malatesta, both young and fresh to life, whose initial relationship was innocently platonic, but very soon blossomed into blissful hermaphroditic union. The record of the circumstances surrounding the story comes to us from Dante Alighieri in his trilogy, The Divine Comedy, written c.1314. For Dante, this was a contemporary affair, and referred to it in the first book Inferno (Hell). It is one of the most loving, appealing, yet tragic stories of youth and love, and has moved great artists of music, sculpture and painting to replicate and encapsulate the word ‘Love’, represented by the figures of Francesca and her lover, Paolo.
In part two in next month’s Bugle, Dante will meet the shades of Francesca and Paolo wandering through Upper Hell, where Francesca explains the circumstances of their tragic love. In the meantime this gent is flying to Paris, to the Musee Rodin, to savour the beauty of Rodin’s monument to love, his sculpture in marble of The Kiss, whose original title was Francesca da Rimini, until the charlatans of art appreciation vented their blue-stocking prudery towards an exaltation they could never even hope to experience.
Sir Lancelot and Queen Guinevere
by Alfred, Lord Tennyson.1st +5th vrs.
Like souls that balance joy and pain,
With tears and smiles from heaven again
The maiden Spring upon the plain
Came in a sunlit fall of rain.
In crystal vapour everywhere
Blue isles of heaven laugh’d between,
And far, in forest-deeps unseen,
The topmost elm-tree gather’d green
From draughts of balmy air.
As she fled fast thro’ sun and shade,
The happy winds upon her play’d,
Blowing the winglet from the braid,
She look’d so lovely, as she swayed
The rein with dainty finger-tips,
A man had given all other bliss,
And all his worldly worth for this,
To waste his whole heart in one kiss
Upon her prefect lips.
MichaelWard.
Ballymore-Eustace’s Proud Handball Record
Part 6
Myles Lawlor (Senior) was born in 1888 in Bishophill. He started his schooling in Ballymore-Eustace and finished in St. Joseph's Clondalkin. Myles was profiled in the March 1978 Echo where he stated:
“His main interest in life was sports of every description and he was an all round sportsman. He spent a lot of his young days in the Ballalley and he could 'kill' a ball with his feet as good as if he was using his hands. Canon Cantwell sponsored all of the local tournaments and it was mostly money they played for as there was no such things as medals in the old days. He remembers playing, with pride, O'Dowd in Clondalkin. Transport to these matches was provided by two lorries from Naas (Hedermans and Gibbons) and Ballymore gave him wonderful support and really helped him to win the "rubber". He also helped with the extension of the Alley in 1928 ".
Myles served on the first handball committee and took part in the first doubles game played in the 60 by 30 alley.
Myles' son Bill Lawlor was a whole hearted left handed player who teamed up with Paddy Monaghan in 1953 to win the All-Ireland junior hard doubles title and for good measure Bill won the corresponding singles title. This was the first time Ballymore won the two All-Ireland junior hardball titles in the same year. Bill helped with the raising of the walls of the 60 by 30 alley in 1953. Their opponents in the final from Limerick and Paddy Monaghan are sadly all gone to their eternal reward. Bill happily is still with us. At the height of his powers, Bill suffered a broken leg that put an end to his playing days. Bill has also had success as a trainer and owner of greyhounds. Two names that come to mind are Brave Edna and Tantalus. In 1974, Bill kindly donated "The Brave Edna Cup" for a league competition to be run by the Athletic Club.
Bill's brother Myles was probably the first Ballymore player to concentrate on softball and represented the Club at junior level. Myles was also a member of Ballymore's defense in the County Senior Football win of 1953. Fishing was a pastime Myles was interested in and I have happy memories of accompanying Myles along with my brother James on one of his fishing trips.
Myles knew of a big trout in a pond a good way down the Liffey near Coughlanstown that he had been trying to catch for sometime. Arriving at the spot, Myles set about his task with patience while James and myself eagerly watched. From time to time Myles indicated that he had got a nibble but nothing more happened. Myles was only interested in the one fish. Eventually what we were waiting for happened. Myles had hooked the big one. Slowly but surely Myles reeled him in until the trout was close enough to be put in the net. It was the biggest trout I ever saw weighing over three and a half pounds. The best was yet to come as Myles gave James and myself the trout that we were then able to proudly present to our parents when we arrived home.
Liam, Joe and Tony Evans were all involved in handball as players while Tony was also involved on the official side. Before he immigrated in the early fifties, Liam was one of our top junior hardball players and in fact represented the Club in hard doubles in partnership with Bill Lawlor. It was Liam who gave me my first hardball and thereby set me on a path that ultimately lead me to All-Ireland senior honours. While Joe was a useful handballer I do not recall him playing the game competitively. Like Liam, Joe also immigrated. Tony for his part while a minor was able to hold his own against players of All-Ireland standard. In 1960, which was one of our more successful seasons, Tony was Club Chairman and for a couple of years in the sixties he held a key position on the County Board.
© Matt Purcell (October 20, 2008)
Handball
In the Leinster "B" Championship, Gary Mahon and Stewart Byrne were runners upto Wexford in the U-15 60 x 30 Final at Croke Park. Gary is the son of Sean Mahon of Broadleas while Stewart is the son of Sheila Byrne (nee Pearse) of St Bridget’s Park.
In a tournament in Ballymore Eustace last month, a total of 22 players competed over 2 nights. This tournament was open to all grades in Kildare. After some very closely contested games, Daragh Ward and Gerry Fennell beat Tommy Archibold and James Travers in the final.
The Ballymore Eustace Club hopes to run similar competitions at Christmas in both courts.
Meanwhile, the Leixlip Club are running their Annual Tournament on December 7th and would appreciate entries as soon as possible.
Lastly, the winner of the Kildare Handball Award for 2008 will be announced at the Kildare G.A.A. Sports Stars night in the Keadeen Hotel on November 22.
Eamonn Deegan
Europe was slowly emerging from the dark ages and one of the few glimmerings of enlightenment was to be found in France in the south western area of Aquitaine, at Provence. There, under the rule of the Counts of Toulouse, the economy expanded and with it, the culture of its people developed and flourished in literature, learning, art and music. It was too, a period of relative peace conditioned by strong leadership.
Count William 1X of Poitiers was one of the earliest, most successful and celebrated members of the Troubadours, whose poetry and wistful songs of unrequited love were a part of the golden age, whose riches, both economic and social, were later to be decimated and its people massacred by the jealousies of other incompetent and troubled state rulers in Europe under the guise of religious persecution, by name, the Albigensian crusade – as Charles Macaulay pointed out in his review of Von Ranke’s History of the Popes… “Provence was once the most opulent and enlightened part of the greater European family.”
When Eleanor of Aquitaine inherited the duchy on the death of her father, William X in 1137, she married within a few months, LouisV11, King of France, bringing, but not parting with those domains nor the intrigues by which they were first gained. By Louis, she bore two daughters, Marie and Alix. She held court at Poitiers as patron of arts, maintaining the mannerisms, styles and culture of her forebears, including the traditions of the Troubadours, of wandering minstrels, of song and of love.
In 1152, the marriage to Louis was annulled, and hardly without pause, Eleanor accepted the hand of marriage from Henry 11 of England that same year, grounding the union by her dowry, Aquitaine.
Henry and Eleanor had eight children, five boys and two girls, of whom Richard and John would be kings. Their daughter Leanora, married Alphonse of Castile, and their daughter, Blanche, in a union arranged by Eleanor, her grandmother, she wed King Louis V111 of France and so became mother of the famous crusader, King (Saint) Louis 1X.
But it is to Marie, Countess of Champagne, where the link to Francesca da Rimini is to be found. Like her mother Eleanor, Marie was a vivacious person, an avid patron of arts and of all things which made life not just more bearable, but exciting and enjoyable, while at the same time maintaining similar traditions at her court at Troyes, as Eleanor had at Poitiers. At her court, she was joined by two of the most famous trouveres of the time, Chretienne de Troyes, previously a retainer of Eleanor; and Andreas Capellanus, author of De Amore, or, The Art of Courtly Love, a code of conduct governing passion and desire in polite society.
In her enthusiasm, she had Chretiennes compose stories (c.1185) on themes of her own gloriously fertile imagination, if not her feats of feral ingenuity; scenes of chivalry by Knights of The Round Table, of unbelievable heroism, of bravery beyond the call of duty, but above all else, of the knight’s honour - well, at least until m’lady in distress surrendered her feigned protests to gratitude, and Endymion’s eternal flame of love.
It is how the stories of Sir Lancelot and Queen Guinevere came to be loved and revered, and became a format for a succession of epic love stories which melted the hearts of young men and women throughout the ages of time. Thoughts, imaginative, pictured in the mind, dangling tantalizingly, ever so close… by such tales were passions aroused.
One hundred years later, 1285, after Marie de Campagne’s tale of Lancelot and Guinevere was written, a love story of heart-breaking proportions came to light in Italy concerning two companions, Francesca da Polenta (Rimini) and Paolo Malatesta, both young and fresh to life, whose initial relationship was innocently platonic, but very soon blossomed into blissful hermaphroditic union. The record of the circumstances surrounding the story comes to us from Dante Alighieri in his trilogy, The Divine Comedy, written c.1314. For Dante, this was a contemporary affair, and referred to it in the first book Inferno (Hell). It is one of the most loving, appealing, yet tragic stories of youth and love, and has moved great artists of music, sculpture and painting to replicate and encapsulate the word ‘Love’, represented by the figures of Francesca and her lover, Paolo.
In part two in next month’s Bugle, Dante will meet the shades of Francesca and Paolo wandering through Upper Hell, where Francesca explains the circumstances of their tragic love. In the meantime this gent is flying to Paris, to the Musee Rodin, to savour the beauty of Rodin’s monument to love, his sculpture in marble of The Kiss, whose original title was Francesca da Rimini, until the charlatans of art appreciation vented their blue-stocking prudery towards an exaltation they could never even hope to experience.
Sir Lancelot and Queen Guinevere
by Alfred, Lord Tennyson.1st +5th vrs.
Like souls that balance joy and pain,
With tears and smiles from heaven again
The maiden Spring upon the plain
Came in a sunlit fall of rain.
In crystal vapour everywhere
Blue isles of heaven laugh’d between,
And far, in forest-deeps unseen,
The topmost elm-tree gather’d green
From draughts of balmy air.
As she fled fast thro’ sun and shade,
The happy winds upon her play’d,
Blowing the winglet from the braid,
She look’d so lovely, as she swayed
The rein with dainty finger-tips,
A man had given all other bliss,
And all his worldly worth for this,
To waste his whole heart in one kiss
Upon her prefect lips.
MichaelWard.
Ballymore-Eustace’s Proud Handball Record
Part 6
Myles Lawlor (Senior) was born in 1888 in Bishophill. He started his schooling in Ballymore-Eustace and finished in St. Joseph's Clondalkin. Myles was profiled in the March 1978 Echo where he stated:
“His main interest in life was sports of every description and he was an all round sportsman. He spent a lot of his young days in the Ballalley and he could 'kill' a ball with his feet as good as if he was using his hands. Canon Cantwell sponsored all of the local tournaments and it was mostly money they played for as there was no such things as medals in the old days. He remembers playing, with pride, O'Dowd in Clondalkin. Transport to these matches was provided by two lorries from Naas (Hedermans and Gibbons) and Ballymore gave him wonderful support and really helped him to win the "rubber". He also helped with the extension of the Alley in 1928 ".
Myles served on the first handball committee and took part in the first doubles game played in the 60 by 30 alley.
Myles' son Bill Lawlor was a whole hearted left handed player who teamed up with Paddy Monaghan in 1953 to win the All-Ireland junior hard doubles title and for good measure Bill won the corresponding singles title. This was the first time Ballymore won the two All-Ireland junior hardball titles in the same year. Bill helped with the raising of the walls of the 60 by 30 alley in 1953. Their opponents in the final from Limerick and Paddy Monaghan are sadly all gone to their eternal reward. Bill happily is still with us. At the height of his powers, Bill suffered a broken leg that put an end to his playing days. Bill has also had success as a trainer and owner of greyhounds. Two names that come to mind are Brave Edna and Tantalus. In 1974, Bill kindly donated "The Brave Edna Cup" for a league competition to be run by the Athletic Club.
Bill's brother Myles was probably the first Ballymore player to concentrate on softball and represented the Club at junior level. Myles was also a member of Ballymore's defense in the County Senior Football win of 1953. Fishing was a pastime Myles was interested in and I have happy memories of accompanying Myles along with my brother James on one of his fishing trips.
Myles knew of a big trout in a pond a good way down the Liffey near Coughlanstown that he had been trying to catch for sometime. Arriving at the spot, Myles set about his task with patience while James and myself eagerly watched. From time to time Myles indicated that he had got a nibble but nothing more happened. Myles was only interested in the one fish. Eventually what we were waiting for happened. Myles had hooked the big one. Slowly but surely Myles reeled him in until the trout was close enough to be put in the net. It was the biggest trout I ever saw weighing over three and a half pounds. The best was yet to come as Myles gave James and myself the trout that we were then able to proudly present to our parents when we arrived home.
Liam, Joe and Tony Evans were all involved in handball as players while Tony was also involved on the official side. Before he immigrated in the early fifties, Liam was one of our top junior hardball players and in fact represented the Club in hard doubles in partnership with Bill Lawlor. It was Liam who gave me my first hardball and thereby set me on a path that ultimately lead me to All-Ireland senior honours. While Joe was a useful handballer I do not recall him playing the game competitively. Like Liam, Joe also immigrated. Tony for his part while a minor was able to hold his own against players of All-Ireland standard. In 1960, which was one of our more successful seasons, Tony was Club Chairman and for a couple of years in the sixties he held a key position on the County Board.
© Matt Purcell (October 20, 2008)
Handball
In the Leinster "B" Championship, Gary Mahon and Stewart Byrne were runners upto Wexford in the U-15 60 x 30 Final at Croke Park. Gary is the son of Sean Mahon of Broadleas while Stewart is the son of Sheila Byrne (nee Pearse) of St Bridget’s Park.
In a tournament in Ballymore Eustace last month, a total of 22 players competed over 2 nights. This tournament was open to all grades in Kildare. After some very closely contested games, Daragh Ward and Gerry Fennell beat Tommy Archibold and James Travers in the final.
The Ballymore Eustace Club hopes to run similar competitions at Christmas in both courts.
Meanwhile, the Leixlip Club are running their Annual Tournament on December 7th and would appreciate entries as soon as possible.
Lastly, the winner of the Kildare Handball Award for 2008 will be announced at the Kildare G.A.A. Sports Stars night in the Keadeen Hotel on November 22.
Eamonn Deegan
Bare root season is here!
If you plan on planting a hedge or large trees or shrubs, now is a good time. Our bare root plants are now available. The plants are sold straight from the ground. They are cheaper this way and often healthier as the roots haven't been restricted in pots.
So save yourself lots of money and start planting now!
Evergreen Hedges If you want evergreen cover you can choose one or a mix of the following.
Laurel A glossy, dense, evergreen. Provides good wind shelter and looks great if trimmed annually.
Escallonia Also good, glossy, evergreen with the added advantage of pink/red flowers from July to October. Not good for cold exposed sites, however.
Griselinia Glossy, light green leaves. Suitable for the smaller garden, it's very attractive if kept trimmed.
Cotoneaster Interesting evergreen hedge with flowers in spring and berries in winter.
Holly Fabulous, though slow growing, looks good grown on it's own or mixed plantings.
Deciduous Hedges are always popular. Beech can be seen all over Wicklow and Kildare, especially large estates and Studs. Very natural looking, especially in winter when most of the leaves are retained to give a golden/coppery hue. Most popular is Green Beech but you can also plant Purple Beech which has a dark ox-blood coloured leaf in summer, and retains its dead copper leaves in winter. Sometimes a mix of the two is used, which is quite nice.
Whitethorn/Hawthorn makes a wonderful natural hedge. The red berries (to be seen everywhere at the moment) provide great winterfood for the birds! The blaze of white flowers in spring is wonderful. Mix some Blackthorn through and enjoy Sloe berries in the winter.
In a Mixed Hedgerow we use a mix of Beech, Hawthorn and Holly. Also add Eunoymus europeaus (Spindle) Rugosa Rose (for hips in Autumn), Dogwood, Hazel, Wild Cherry. This will not only look beautifully natural, but provide habitats and food for wildlife, especially birds.
Planting a hedge is all about preparation. For large areas dig trenches and line with well rotted manure or compost. Back fill with a little soil and plant away. All newly planted hedges will thrive if they are kept weed free and grassfree and, most importantly, watered well in their first year.
A GOOD READ
I have been a long term admirer of writing on the first world war, and given the month that’s in it with the ninetieth anniversary of the end of the “Great War” I suppose it was fitting that I should read Sebastian Barry’s “ A long long way” (Paperback: Faber and Faber: 10.80) For me the first world war poets have always been unsurpassed in their genre and I have been deeply impressed by several contemporary novelists’ treatment of the war; Susan Hills “Strange meeting”; Sebastian Faulks’ “Birdsong” and in particular, Pat Barker’s wonderful “Regeneration” trilogy. Barry’s novel however gave me a completely new perspective on the conflict as it follows the fortunes of Willie Dunne who joins the Royal Dublin Fusiliers in 1914 aged just eighteen and sees the whole course of the tragic war played out. Set against the backdrop of civil unrest simultaneously blowing up in his homeland, this book depicts Willie’s convincing naïveté about fighting in the Brinish army. As the son of a senior Dublin police officer Willie idolises his widowed father and for a long time is unable to question the rightness of fighting for the king.
Through the lens of Willie’s experiences we view the seemingly indescribable degradations of trench-life and are introduced to a series of beautifully drawn homespun heroes; Captain Pasley, the Wicklow man; Father Buckley, the stoic padre and Christy Moran, the rough diamond of a sergeant major. The reader is shown small and careful vignettes of the lives of Willie’s colleagues, whilst we glean a rich and deep understanding of Willie himself. Reading about this war has always proven to be a great philosophical leveller for me. I was reminded of this whilst marvelling at Barry’s phantasmagorical descriptions of the trenches during the torrential rain of August 1917- one of the bloodiest summers of the war. I recalled how we (me included) had all given out about our own miserably rainy summer- this helped me to put things back in perspective.
All the WW1 literature I have encountered has at its heart profound questions about belief and meaning, right and wrong. The particularly poignant message in this book for me was about belonging. It showed how a young soldier could be both stoned in his hometown as a “Tommie” and vilified in the British army as a “Sinn Feiner”. Ultimately Willie finds a sense of belonging through the friendships and relationships he forms within his regiment- how the men miraculously endure the unendurable together.
This was a tremendously powerful and important book which moved me to tears in several places. Barry is an exceptionally talented writer and it is easy to see why he has been short listed twice for the Man Booker Prize. I was reminded of the words of the song:
“ And young Willie McBride this is still no man’s land
The countless white crosses stand mute in the sand,
And for man’s blind indifference to his fellow man
There’s a whole generation who were butchered and damned.”
( From “The Green Fields of France”)
ANGIE THOMPSON
MUSIC AT RUSSBOROUGH
November 5th saw another delightful musical event at Russborough- a packed house in the saloon came to see the RTÈ Vanburgh Quartet. The candlelight and paintings provide a perfect backdrop for the classics as these highly accomplished musicians played quartets from Mozart, Schuman and Brahms. The house are continuing to run candlelit evenings and dinners throughout the winter, so it is highly recommended as a venue either for a couple, friends or a large group. The welcome is warm and the setting is magnificent. As a tip – book up early for musical events at they seem to sell out quite quickly these days….Watch the Bugle for updates on up and coming events.
Angie Thompson
If you plan on planting a hedge or large trees or shrubs, now is a good time. Our bare root plants are now available. The plants are sold straight from the ground. They are cheaper this way and often healthier as the roots haven't been restricted in pots.
So save yourself lots of money and start planting now!
Evergreen Hedges If you want evergreen cover you can choose one or a mix of the following.
Laurel A glossy, dense, evergreen. Provides good wind shelter and looks great if trimmed annually.
Escallonia Also good, glossy, evergreen with the added advantage of pink/red flowers from July to October. Not good for cold exposed sites, however.
Griselinia Glossy, light green leaves. Suitable for the smaller garden, it's very attractive if kept trimmed.
Cotoneaster Interesting evergreen hedge with flowers in spring and berries in winter.
Holly Fabulous, though slow growing, looks good grown on it's own or mixed plantings.
Deciduous Hedges are always popular. Beech can be seen all over Wicklow and Kildare, especially large estates and Studs. Very natural looking, especially in winter when most of the leaves are retained to give a golden/coppery hue. Most popular is Green Beech but you can also plant Purple Beech which has a dark ox-blood coloured leaf in summer, and retains its dead copper leaves in winter. Sometimes a mix of the two is used, which is quite nice.
Whitethorn/Hawthorn makes a wonderful natural hedge. The red berries (to be seen everywhere at the moment) provide great winterfood for the birds! The blaze of white flowers in spring is wonderful. Mix some Blackthorn through and enjoy Sloe berries in the winter.
In a Mixed Hedgerow we use a mix of Beech, Hawthorn and Holly. Also add Eunoymus europeaus (Spindle) Rugosa Rose (for hips in Autumn), Dogwood, Hazel, Wild Cherry. This will not only look beautifully natural, but provide habitats and food for wildlife, especially birds.
Planting a hedge is all about preparation. For large areas dig trenches and line with well rotted manure or compost. Back fill with a little soil and plant away. All newly planted hedges will thrive if they are kept weed free and grassfree and, most importantly, watered well in their first year.
A GOOD READ
I have been a long term admirer of writing on the first world war, and given the month that’s in it with the ninetieth anniversary of the end of the “Great War” I suppose it was fitting that I should read Sebastian Barry’s “ A long long way” (Paperback: Faber and Faber: 10.80) For me the first world war poets have always been unsurpassed in their genre and I have been deeply impressed by several contemporary novelists’ treatment of the war; Susan Hills “Strange meeting”; Sebastian Faulks’ “Birdsong” and in particular, Pat Barker’s wonderful “Regeneration” trilogy. Barry’s novel however gave me a completely new perspective on the conflict as it follows the fortunes of Willie Dunne who joins the Royal Dublin Fusiliers in 1914 aged just eighteen and sees the whole course of the tragic war played out. Set against the backdrop of civil unrest simultaneously blowing up in his homeland, this book depicts Willie’s convincing naïveté about fighting in the Brinish army. As the son of a senior Dublin police officer Willie idolises his widowed father and for a long time is unable to question the rightness of fighting for the king.
Through the lens of Willie’s experiences we view the seemingly indescribable degradations of trench-life and are introduced to a series of beautifully drawn homespun heroes; Captain Pasley, the Wicklow man; Father Buckley, the stoic padre and Christy Moran, the rough diamond of a sergeant major. The reader is shown small and careful vignettes of the lives of Willie’s colleagues, whilst we glean a rich and deep understanding of Willie himself. Reading about this war has always proven to be a great philosophical leveller for me. I was reminded of this whilst marvelling at Barry’s phantasmagorical descriptions of the trenches during the torrential rain of August 1917- one of the bloodiest summers of the war. I recalled how we (me included) had all given out about our own miserably rainy summer- this helped me to put things back in perspective.
All the WW1 literature I have encountered has at its heart profound questions about belief and meaning, right and wrong. The particularly poignant message in this book for me was about belonging. It showed how a young soldier could be both stoned in his hometown as a “Tommie” and vilified in the British army as a “Sinn Feiner”. Ultimately Willie finds a sense of belonging through the friendships and relationships he forms within his regiment- how the men miraculously endure the unendurable together.
This was a tremendously powerful and important book which moved me to tears in several places. Barry is an exceptionally talented writer and it is easy to see why he has been short listed twice for the Man Booker Prize. I was reminded of the words of the song:
“ And young Willie McBride this is still no man’s land
The countless white crosses stand mute in the sand,
And for man’s blind indifference to his fellow man
There’s a whole generation who were butchered and damned.”
( From “The Green Fields of France”)
ANGIE THOMPSON
MUSIC AT RUSSBOROUGH
November 5th saw another delightful musical event at Russborough- a packed house in the saloon came to see the RTÈ Vanburgh Quartet. The candlelight and paintings provide a perfect backdrop for the classics as these highly accomplished musicians played quartets from Mozart, Schuman and Brahms. The house are continuing to run candlelit evenings and dinners throughout the winter, so it is highly recommended as a venue either for a couple, friends or a large group. The welcome is warm and the setting is magnificent. As a tip – book up early for musical events at they seem to sell out quite quickly these days….Watch the Bugle for updates on up and coming events.
Angie Thompson
President’s Prize 11th October 2008
Three cheers for President Elect Obama…!
In Ballymore GS, we recently celebrated our own President, Dora O’Brien! Dora has contributed enormously to the Golf Society since it began in 1991. Her administrative talent and hard work have been a major factor in its success. Dora was Secretary from ’91 to ’03 and then Captain in 2004. This year Dora was nominated as President, an honorary role which she so deserves.
The “President’s Prize” outing was held in Portarlington, Approximately seventy people played on the day and the overall winner was Chris Breslin. Congratulations Chris! A most enjoyable night followed in the Ardenode Hotel - the food and hospitality was excellent. The entertainment was provided by our own members; Colin Daly, Liam Lawler, Ann Daly, Aine O’Neill and many singers who partied on until the early hours!
All in all it was a great day, and a fitting tribute to Dora. We thank her for her dedication, commitment and friendship and look forward to many more years of the same!!
1st Chris Breslin(17) 44pts
2nd James McCarron(12) 40pts
3rd Colin Daly(21) 38pts
Gross Gavin Daly(5) 35pts
Category Winners
Paul Murphy(10) 37pts
Richard Cowley(16) 37pts
Thomas Daly(20) 38pts
Steve Carter(28) 36pts
Second in Category
Eoin Curley(10) 37pts
Tom Cantwell(14) 37pts
John Murphy Jnr(23) 37pts
Tim Duggan(33) 34pts
Third In Category
Conor Fallon(6) 34pts
Paul Clarke(16) 34pts
MichaelHoran(22) 33pts Moira Hannon(39) 33pts
Front Nine Seth de Labre(15) 18pts
Back Nine Tommy Daly(16) 19pts
Longest Drives:
Gavin Daly(5), Catherine Field(24)
Nearest The Pin Eamonn Deegan(18)
MAUREEN DOYLE, R.I.P.
We would like to extend our deepest sympathy to Marky Doyle, sons Marky, Emmet and Shane on the very recent death of Maureen. Maureen was a valued member of this Society and will be dearly missed.
The Late Ena Keenan
(We are honoured to reproduce the words spoken by Kevin Jnr. about his Mam. May she rest in peace.)
I have titled this “White Feather” because each letter in both words represents what Mam was about.
A Short story before I begin.
One of Mam’s favourite places to have “a good ould root,” as she called it was “The Elms” at Punchestown owned by Denis McCarthy. She would spend hours down there. I remember one day when Mam came back from sifting through the antiques etc. for hours, my father said to her “I think you better move in with Denis or bring him home with you, whichever is the best.” Mam adored rooting through shops and stalls. God help them all in Heaven when herself and her sister Tess get going, they will probably give St. Peter a good offer for the gates. Mam rarely bought for herself, she would buy something she thought that somebody might need or because somebody needed to sell it to make a few bob. She was a great supporter of the St. Vincent De Paul in Ballymore.
Now “White Feather”
W for Will: Mam had an enormous will to help people, animals and all the birds of the sky.
H for Health Mam battled with all sorts of illnesses for many years, but in particular the last eight months of her life. She bore it with total strength, dignity and faith; with so much support from her family and in particular my father. He has the strength of a bear, the heart of a lion and the gentleness of a butterfly. On Behalf of my father I would like to thank all the staff of Naas Hospital, Tallaght Hospital, Casa carers and Craddockstown Nursing Home who tried so hard to keep Ma going,
I for Industrious Mam was industrious in the home in so, so many ways, Ma could make dinner for two or three and should more arrive all got a meal without any fuss or bother.
T for Tidy Mam was so particular about her dress, her appearance, her garden and her home; she was impeccable in all the things she did.
E for Energy I do not know to this day where Ma got her energy from, one her worst days BEFORE hospital she could walk the feet off my sisters who dared to head off shopping with her. They would always say “there is no end to that one you know,”
F for Friendly Ma was friendly to so, so many people, cheerful and upbeat all the way. She loved the ICA nights and outings.
E for Environment Ma was doing stuff thirty years ago, making use of old egg, milk and juice cartons, vegetable cuts etc. that most of us are only getting our heads around now. She loved a clean and peaceful world.
A for Animals Big and small including birds always got a bit from the table after meals, nothing was ever wasted.
T for Tenderness Ma had a tenderness of a kind I have never known before.
H for Heart Ma had a heart of gold, always supportive and positive up to the last words she spoke to all of us.
E for Earth Ma and Da would always harvest the fruit and vegetables from their own garden, making jams, tarts buns etc., something sweet on a dark winter’s day, what could be nicer.
R for Religion A devoted Catholic to the end. An odd time she would give up for short periods, God knows I couldn’t blame her Sorry Father! Morning, evening and night prayers were all said with passion and meaning, with Da by her side.
I will always love you Ma, as long as blood runs through my veins and after.
You were an inspiration to us all.
What a woman!
Three cheers for President Elect Obama…!
In Ballymore GS, we recently celebrated our own President, Dora O’Brien! Dora has contributed enormously to the Golf Society since it began in 1991. Her administrative talent and hard work have been a major factor in its success. Dora was Secretary from ’91 to ’03 and then Captain in 2004. This year Dora was nominated as President, an honorary role which she so deserves.
The “President’s Prize” outing was held in Portarlington, Approximately seventy people played on the day and the overall winner was Chris Breslin. Congratulations Chris! A most enjoyable night followed in the Ardenode Hotel - the food and hospitality was excellent. The entertainment was provided by our own members; Colin Daly, Liam Lawler, Ann Daly, Aine O’Neill and many singers who partied on until the early hours!
All in all it was a great day, and a fitting tribute to Dora. We thank her for her dedication, commitment and friendship and look forward to many more years of the same!!
1st Chris Breslin(17) 44pts
2nd James McCarron(12) 40pts
3rd Colin Daly(21) 38pts
Gross Gavin Daly(5) 35pts
Category Winners
Paul Murphy(10) 37pts
Richard Cowley(16) 37pts
Thomas Daly(20) 38pts
Steve Carter(28) 36pts
Second in Category
Eoin Curley(10) 37pts
Tom Cantwell(14) 37pts
John Murphy Jnr(23) 37pts
Tim Duggan(33) 34pts
Third In Category
Conor Fallon(6) 34pts
Paul Clarke(16) 34pts
MichaelHoran(22) 33pts Moira Hannon(39) 33pts
Front Nine Seth de Labre(15) 18pts
Back Nine Tommy Daly(16) 19pts
Longest Drives:
Gavin Daly(5), Catherine Field(24)
Nearest The Pin Eamonn Deegan(18)
MAUREEN DOYLE, R.I.P.
We would like to extend our deepest sympathy to Marky Doyle, sons Marky, Emmet and Shane on the very recent death of Maureen. Maureen was a valued member of this Society and will be dearly missed.
The Late Ena Keenan
(We are honoured to reproduce the words spoken by Kevin Jnr. about his Mam. May she rest in peace.)
I have titled this “White Feather” because each letter in both words represents what Mam was about.
A Short story before I begin.
One of Mam’s favourite places to have “a good ould root,” as she called it was “The Elms” at Punchestown owned by Denis McCarthy. She would spend hours down there. I remember one day when Mam came back from sifting through the antiques etc. for hours, my father said to her “I think you better move in with Denis or bring him home with you, whichever is the best.” Mam adored rooting through shops and stalls. God help them all in Heaven when herself and her sister Tess get going, they will probably give St. Peter a good offer for the gates. Mam rarely bought for herself, she would buy something she thought that somebody might need or because somebody needed to sell it to make a few bob. She was a great supporter of the St. Vincent De Paul in Ballymore.
Now “White Feather”
W for Will: Mam had an enormous will to help people, animals and all the birds of the sky.
H for Health Mam battled with all sorts of illnesses for many years, but in particular the last eight months of her life. She bore it with total strength, dignity and faith; with so much support from her family and in particular my father. He has the strength of a bear, the heart of a lion and the gentleness of a butterfly. On Behalf of my father I would like to thank all the staff of Naas Hospital, Tallaght Hospital, Casa carers and Craddockstown Nursing Home who tried so hard to keep Ma going,
I for Industrious Mam was industrious in the home in so, so many ways, Ma could make dinner for two or three and should more arrive all got a meal without any fuss or bother.
T for Tidy Mam was so particular about her dress, her appearance, her garden and her home; she was impeccable in all the things she did.
E for Energy I do not know to this day where Ma got her energy from, one her worst days BEFORE hospital she could walk the feet off my sisters who dared to head off shopping with her. They would always say “there is no end to that one you know,”
F for Friendly Ma was friendly to so, so many people, cheerful and upbeat all the way. She loved the ICA nights and outings.
E for Environment Ma was doing stuff thirty years ago, making use of old egg, milk and juice cartons, vegetable cuts etc. that most of us are only getting our heads around now. She loved a clean and peaceful world.
A for Animals Big and small including birds always got a bit from the table after meals, nothing was ever wasted.
T for Tenderness Ma had a tenderness of a kind I have never known before.
H for Heart Ma had a heart of gold, always supportive and positive up to the last words she spoke to all of us.
E for Earth Ma and Da would always harvest the fruit and vegetables from their own garden, making jams, tarts buns etc., something sweet on a dark winter’s day, what could be nicer.
R for Religion A devoted Catholic to the end. An odd time she would give up for short periods, God knows I couldn’t blame her Sorry Father! Morning, evening and night prayers were all said with passion and meaning, with Da by her side.
I will always love you Ma, as long as blood runs through my veins and after.
You were an inspiration to us all.
What a woman!
Ballymore Eustace
Community Development Association Ltd
A.G.M. MINUTES 6th November, 2008
COMMITTEE MEMBERS IN ATTENDANCE:
Fiona Breslin, Kay Nolan, Margaret McDonald, Mary Deegan & Eric Firth. Apologies from
Patricia Donnelly, Fintan Smith, Rachel Edwards, Maurice Mason.
CHAIRPERSONS WELCOME
MINUTES OF PREVIOUS AGM AND MATTERS ARISING
The Secretary read the minutes of the previous AGM which were signed. No matters arising from the minutes.
TREASURER’S REPORT
Margaret MC Donald thanked the sub-committees for producing their accounts and stated net assets at the end of 2006 as €66,144.
CHAIRPERSONS ADDRESS
Fiona stated that those involved in specific projects/topic areas would speak on that topic.
Street Signs (Fiona Breslin)
The colour scheme of Village Street signs as per the street sign survey was cream on black. However, following a report from the Tidy Towns Adjudicators which criticized black signage (it may actually lose us points in future competitions), it was decided to go with a colour that was already prevalent on many fixtures in the village and one that the adjudicators also favour, dark green background with cream lettering. Signs will be produced and erected within the next fortnight by local man, Séan Deegan.
Community Development Centre and Tidy Towns store (Fiona Breslin)
At the start of May the CDA were granted planning permission for this building at the old council library site. This is valid for 5 years. We are still awaiting word from the KTK levies committee on funding.
Planning
(Fiona Breslin)
Presumably more development will result because of the new sewerage treatment plant and thus we need to be extra vigilant. The developments the CDA have made submissions on in the past year are as follows:
Quinlan’s Pit, Bishopsland.
Coffee shop (or take away?) beside Blake's pharmacy. A loophole in planning allowed the developer to modify plans significantly from the original application. The CDA feel that this altered version is not in keeping with the look of the village. The current building is not in keeping with either application and is an Unauthorized Development so we have been in communication with KCC on this.
Wastewater (sewerage) Treatment plant
COVA -‘The Park’ Development
Ballymore Residential’s development.
The Planning Advisory Sub Group (sub committee of CDA) approached COVA and Ballymore Residential to discuss building design, community gain and a linear park beside the river walk.
COVA is a holding company for the owners of Jack Lawlor’s field, Doran’s Meadow and a site running parallel to Barrack Street. Ballymore Residential owns the site opposite the school.
The CDA are pro-development once the development is in keeping with the rural environment of Ballymore Eustace village, is sustainable, aesthetically pleasing and generous from the point of view of what it provides in the form of community gain.
Saintfield Mill, Co. Down is an example of a modern development in keeping with an established village. The architects of this development researched the history and heritage of the village creating building designs which took their inspiration from these and they also replicated some features which already existed in the village. We would like developers here to do likewise. However, we would not want this development exactly replicated in Ballymore Eustace since it is not Saintfield and might result in a ‘themed folk village’ appearance. We want them to use good quality, tasteful, traditional, natural materials e.g. traditional stone walls, hedging between properties rather than concrete walls/wooden pallet fencing etc.
COVA have made contact with the CDA recently, Ballymore Residential has not.
(Tom O’ Keefe)
Enda Hanrahan of COVA has agreed to meet with members of the PASG on 10th Nov.
The PASG made a submission on the water treatment plant.
(Christy Dennison)
DCC should be asked to contribute to the community of Ballymore Eustace. They have been in Ballymore Eustace over 60 years and are currently developing a €70m water filtration system and a Sludge Plant to be completed by 2012. We have never had anything in the way of community gain from DCC.
Community Alert
(Percy Donnelly)
Community alert is ticking over and but people are urged to look after their own area. Sean Fogarty represents the village and will phone the Gardai if needed. People need to become aware of what’s happening in their area and observe strange traffic etc. If people are seen dumping on the roadside, they should be reported to KCC Litter Warden Noel Geoghegan on 086 2848563. Even if the act itself is not witnessed, inform Noel of the whereabouts of the dumped material and he will be very prompt in removing it and going through it in an attempt to find a paper trail to the person who dumped it – believe it or not, this is a hugely successful way of getting the perpetrator.
(Fiona Breslin)
Thanks to Seth DeLabre for installing smoke alarms supplied f.o.c. for the elderly/disabled. More available if anybody knows of suitable applicants. Please contact any member of the CDA.
New Garda presence in village
(Eamon Whelan:new local Garda)
According to the superintendent in Naas, a second Garda is to join Eamon in the next few weeks, thus two Gardai will be permanently based in Ballymore Eustace-great news for the village! The Station should be open most days between 9am – 12 and 7 – 9pm. There is a newly installed ‘Blue Man’ on the door which will put you straight through to Naas. Times will be in the Bugle when established.
Tidy Towns
(Eric Firth)
2008 was a very successful year for Tidy Towns with a massive 19 points increase in the rating – 2nd in their category in Kildare. The Adjudicators report was very complimentary about many aspects of the village. We need to clean up our act with regard to derelict sites, partially completed buildings, goods and signage cluttering the pathways and overhead lines etc. The River Walk pathway is in poor condition and whilst a grant from KTK Environment Fund has been received for the provision of extra seating this will not be undertaken until work on the Waste water treatment plant is completed, as this will involve further disruption to the River Walk. Eric thanked all those people who in any way contributed to the success of Tidy Towns during 2008 and of course for any donations received during the year.
Resource Centre/bingo
(Gus Kavanagh)
The Resource Centre made a loss of €3,000 during 2007 and the Bingo lost €500. More local support would be appreciated. A special word of thanks to Monica for her help over the years. Seamus Hayden retired last week. We are sad to see him go but would like to wish him good health. Thanks also to the ‘front of house’ ladies for their help. We would appreciate help on Wednesday evenings. Thanks to the Playgroup who as anchor tenants are keeping the Centre going.
(Fiona Breslin)
Help is needed. It is a lot to ask that someone work at bingo every week, however, it is very workable that a group of people would operate a rota system. Please contact Gus if you are interested.
Meals on Wheels
(Dora O’ Brien)
If anyone knows someone who would benefit from meals on wheels, please contact the Public Health Nurse or Maire Drohan. There is no charge for the meals.
Bugle
(Tim H Ryan)
Sales of the Bugle are steady ~ 550 p.m. Tim paid tribute to Rose and the team of Bugle folders. A donation of €1,000 will be made to the Senior Citizens on 28th November.
Nominations for People of the Year closes on 31st December.
Fiona Breslin paid special tribute to the work done by the new Festival subcommittee this year and the workers of the community playgroup.
ELECTION OF OFFICERS
3 members resigned: Fiona Breslin, Patricia Donnelly and Maurice Mason.
3 new people joined the committee: Mary Evans, Sherri Brennan and Lily Byrne.
Any Other Business
Fr. Breen asked about the Yellow Lines outside his house. The CDA did not put in a request for same with KCC. Billy Hillis said it was a Health & Safety issue and must remain.
Cllr. Billy Hillis stated that the Waste Water Treatment plant should be completed in 12 months.
Fiona thanked the committee members that she has served with for the past three years.
Thanks to Rev. Fr. Sean Breen, Cllr. Billy Hillis & Cllrs. Martin Miley, Mark Dalton, Martin Hayden of Athy and the people of Ballymore Eustace who attended the AGM.
on passing by- again
What’s the story with Dick Roche. He seems to have disappeared off the face of the earth. One minute his face was an almost permanent feature on the television and now nothing. I believe he was on the radio bemoaning the fact that the Czech president was talking to Libertas during a recent visit but other than that nothing. I totally accept that he was in no way to blame for the Lisbon Treaty fiasco but is it possible that the powers that be want to keep him sidelined as they start the process of explaining to us that we made a bit of an error in the first vote and could we try and get it right this time?
I would have to say that his overbearing attitude was one of the things which ensured my No vote the last time.
Perhaps this time we will be treated like mature adults and not like kindergarten pupils who are expected to do as we are told because others think they know whats best for us. A proper explanation of what we are getting into would go a long way. Tackling the issues raised by anti Lisbon campaigners would also bring benefits, but only if they were explained in a reasonable and coherent manner instead of the shrill voiced condemnations we heard the last time. I have no doubt that the safest place to be during the upcoming recession is in a strong Europe but it has to be a Europe we can feel happy with. The Government is going to have to try a lot harder this time if it wants our support.
Yet again Limerick is in the news for all the wrong reasons. An innocent young man, by all accounts one of the quietest and most decent you could meet, is heartlessly cut down in a hail of bullets. The fact that he was apparently a victim of mistaken identity is of absolutely no comfort to his family and friends, or indeed should it be to the rest of us. As per usual we are treated to politicians wringing their hands and promising us even more draconian legislation, further diminishing our civil liberties. The problems with all these piecemeal bits of new law is that they usually only affect us, the silent majority. You can have all the laws you want but if they are not being enforced against the people they were enacted to counteract they are not only a waste but a sham. These people have time and time again shown their disdain and total disregard for the law and for the rest of the community. They are artists at getting their foul jobs done and are as knowledgeable as the Gardai when it comes to court .They expectations’ of politicians that an ordinary citizen is going to stand up in open court and give evidence is laughable. I believe wholeheartedly in the rule of law but even I would have serious qualms about giving evidence against these people.
Others have appealed to the thugs morals to try and deter them. Do these do gooders not realise that this scum live in a complete moral vacuum. They are in a business and will baulk at nothing to further their aims. Intimidation of witnesses is probably the cleanest of their activities, and from past experience they know it works. The only person to give evidence against Limerick murderers has for the past two and a half years been under twenty four hour armed Garda protection. How much is that costing us?
The only legislation we need is to enable these people to be tried in the Special Criminal Court, where the judges are experienced at this sort of thing. If the scum knew they were more than likely to be sentenced every time they came before the bench it might soften their cough a little. I am not offering this a total solution but we have to make a start somewhere. How many more innocent victims does it take for this Government to start taking its responsibilities seriously and do something to protect its citizens? We need action to put these people either permanently out of business or in a prison cell, and we need it now!
Does anyone remember why the HSE was set up?. The main reason given was that amalgamating the eleven health boards would lead to savings and a more coherent operation. Despite this there were never any redundancies in the previous boards staff and no economies of scale seemed to appear. And now? The HSE has decided to set up nine regional health authorities. If it wasn’t so serious it would be laughable.
Just a quick update on the KTK Community Liaison Committee. Progress has been painfully slow due to a number of reasons, all of which were outside the control of your committee representatives. Difficulties arose when trying to arrange meetings in the County Council offices, personnel changes meant having to continually update the newcomers and what seemed like a general lack of interest from the Council slowed down the process. Meetings were spaced so far apart that it was impossible to keep any sort of flow in the process. Meetings were called and then abandoned because the Council had neglected to inform all the members or because a Council official became unavailable. We had a meeting on February 26th and the next meeting did not take place until June 13th. It was agreed that the next meeting was to be July 15th and then September 18th. Neither of these took place and we did not meet again until November 12th. The full committee as it now stands appears to be on a better footing than heretofore and I am confident that future progress will be a lot speedier.
We encountered certain difficulties in the beginning trying to decide exactly what “ environmental” covered. Because of this the grants which were made, i.e. to Liffey Heights and the Tidy Towns committee were things which we all instantly recognised as environmental and deserving of funding. We also met some difficulty in trying to educate people in what exactly the fund was for. Requests for further information sometimes resulted in a submission very much like the original. Myself and Rose feel some of this was because of a lack of clarity in the letters from the Council and have requested that all future correspondence will be specific and will leave no doubt as to the information being requested, and the Council have agreed to this request.
The amount of money in the fund is to my mind quite substantial, and a further amount is expected as and when required. If properly handled it could fund quite a number of sensible grants over quite a long time and be of immense benefit to the natural and built environment of Ballymore Eustace.
A further meeting has been agreed for early next month and I will update you in next months Bugle.
All for now. Mike Edmonds.
Community Development Association Ltd
A.G.M. MINUTES 6th November, 2008
COMMITTEE MEMBERS IN ATTENDANCE:
Fiona Breslin, Kay Nolan, Margaret McDonald, Mary Deegan & Eric Firth. Apologies from
Patricia Donnelly, Fintan Smith, Rachel Edwards, Maurice Mason.
CHAIRPERSONS WELCOME
MINUTES OF PREVIOUS AGM AND MATTERS ARISING
The Secretary read the minutes of the previous AGM which were signed. No matters arising from the minutes.
TREASURER’S REPORT
Margaret MC Donald thanked the sub-committees for producing their accounts and stated net assets at the end of 2006 as €66,144.
CHAIRPERSONS ADDRESS
Fiona stated that those involved in specific projects/topic areas would speak on that topic.
Street Signs (Fiona Breslin)
The colour scheme of Village Street signs as per the street sign survey was cream on black. However, following a report from the Tidy Towns Adjudicators which criticized black signage (it may actually lose us points in future competitions), it was decided to go with a colour that was already prevalent on many fixtures in the village and one that the adjudicators also favour, dark green background with cream lettering. Signs will be produced and erected within the next fortnight by local man, Séan Deegan.
Community Development Centre and Tidy Towns store (Fiona Breslin)
At the start of May the CDA were granted planning permission for this building at the old council library site. This is valid for 5 years. We are still awaiting word from the KTK levies committee on funding.
Planning
(Fiona Breslin)
Presumably more development will result because of the new sewerage treatment plant and thus we need to be extra vigilant. The developments the CDA have made submissions on in the past year are as follows:
Quinlan’s Pit, Bishopsland.
Coffee shop (or take away?) beside Blake's pharmacy. A loophole in planning allowed the developer to modify plans significantly from the original application. The CDA feel that this altered version is not in keeping with the look of the village. The current building is not in keeping with either application and is an Unauthorized Development so we have been in communication with KCC on this.
Wastewater (sewerage) Treatment plant
COVA -‘The Park’ Development
Ballymore Residential’s development.
The Planning Advisory Sub Group (sub committee of CDA) approached COVA and Ballymore Residential to discuss building design, community gain and a linear park beside the river walk.
COVA is a holding company for the owners of Jack Lawlor’s field, Doran’s Meadow and a site running parallel to Barrack Street. Ballymore Residential owns the site opposite the school.
The CDA are pro-development once the development is in keeping with the rural environment of Ballymore Eustace village, is sustainable, aesthetically pleasing and generous from the point of view of what it provides in the form of community gain.
Saintfield Mill, Co. Down is an example of a modern development in keeping with an established village. The architects of this development researched the history and heritage of the village creating building designs which took their inspiration from these and they also replicated some features which already existed in the village. We would like developers here to do likewise. However, we would not want this development exactly replicated in Ballymore Eustace since it is not Saintfield and might result in a ‘themed folk village’ appearance. We want them to use good quality, tasteful, traditional, natural materials e.g. traditional stone walls, hedging between properties rather than concrete walls/wooden pallet fencing etc.
COVA have made contact with the CDA recently, Ballymore Residential has not.
(Tom O’ Keefe)
Enda Hanrahan of COVA has agreed to meet with members of the PASG on 10th Nov.
The PASG made a submission on the water treatment plant.
(Christy Dennison)
DCC should be asked to contribute to the community of Ballymore Eustace. They have been in Ballymore Eustace over 60 years and are currently developing a €70m water filtration system and a Sludge Plant to be completed by 2012. We have never had anything in the way of community gain from DCC.
Community Alert
(Percy Donnelly)
Community alert is ticking over and but people are urged to look after their own area. Sean Fogarty represents the village and will phone the Gardai if needed. People need to become aware of what’s happening in their area and observe strange traffic etc. If people are seen dumping on the roadside, they should be reported to KCC Litter Warden Noel Geoghegan on 086 2848563. Even if the act itself is not witnessed, inform Noel of the whereabouts of the dumped material and he will be very prompt in removing it and going through it in an attempt to find a paper trail to the person who dumped it – believe it or not, this is a hugely successful way of getting the perpetrator.
(Fiona Breslin)
Thanks to Seth DeLabre for installing smoke alarms supplied f.o.c. for the elderly/disabled. More available if anybody knows of suitable applicants. Please contact any member of the CDA.
New Garda presence in village
(Eamon Whelan:new local Garda)
According to the superintendent in Naas, a second Garda is to join Eamon in the next few weeks, thus two Gardai will be permanently based in Ballymore Eustace-great news for the village! The Station should be open most days between 9am – 12 and 7 – 9pm. There is a newly installed ‘Blue Man’ on the door which will put you straight through to Naas. Times will be in the Bugle when established.
Tidy Towns
(Eric Firth)
2008 was a very successful year for Tidy Towns with a massive 19 points increase in the rating – 2nd in their category in Kildare. The Adjudicators report was very complimentary about many aspects of the village. We need to clean up our act with regard to derelict sites, partially completed buildings, goods and signage cluttering the pathways and overhead lines etc. The River Walk pathway is in poor condition and whilst a grant from KTK Environment Fund has been received for the provision of extra seating this will not be undertaken until work on the Waste water treatment plant is completed, as this will involve further disruption to the River Walk. Eric thanked all those people who in any way contributed to the success of Tidy Towns during 2008 and of course for any donations received during the year.
Resource Centre/bingo
(Gus Kavanagh)
The Resource Centre made a loss of €3,000 during 2007 and the Bingo lost €500. More local support would be appreciated. A special word of thanks to Monica for her help over the years. Seamus Hayden retired last week. We are sad to see him go but would like to wish him good health. Thanks also to the ‘front of house’ ladies for their help. We would appreciate help on Wednesday evenings. Thanks to the Playgroup who as anchor tenants are keeping the Centre going.
(Fiona Breslin)
Help is needed. It is a lot to ask that someone work at bingo every week, however, it is very workable that a group of people would operate a rota system. Please contact Gus if you are interested.
Meals on Wheels
(Dora O’ Brien)
If anyone knows someone who would benefit from meals on wheels, please contact the Public Health Nurse or Maire Drohan. There is no charge for the meals.
Bugle
(Tim H Ryan)
Sales of the Bugle are steady ~ 550 p.m. Tim paid tribute to Rose and the team of Bugle folders. A donation of €1,000 will be made to the Senior Citizens on 28th November.
Nominations for People of the Year closes on 31st December.
Fiona Breslin paid special tribute to the work done by the new Festival subcommittee this year and the workers of the community playgroup.
ELECTION OF OFFICERS
3 members resigned: Fiona Breslin, Patricia Donnelly and Maurice Mason.
3 new people joined the committee: Mary Evans, Sherri Brennan and Lily Byrne.
Any Other Business
Fr. Breen asked about the Yellow Lines outside his house. The CDA did not put in a request for same with KCC. Billy Hillis said it was a Health & Safety issue and must remain.
Cllr. Billy Hillis stated that the Waste Water Treatment plant should be completed in 12 months.
Fiona thanked the committee members that she has served with for the past three years.
Thanks to Rev. Fr. Sean Breen, Cllr. Billy Hillis & Cllrs. Martin Miley, Mark Dalton, Martin Hayden of Athy and the people of Ballymore Eustace who attended the AGM.
on passing by- again
What’s the story with Dick Roche. He seems to have disappeared off the face of the earth. One minute his face was an almost permanent feature on the television and now nothing. I believe he was on the radio bemoaning the fact that the Czech president was talking to Libertas during a recent visit but other than that nothing. I totally accept that he was in no way to blame for the Lisbon Treaty fiasco but is it possible that the powers that be want to keep him sidelined as they start the process of explaining to us that we made a bit of an error in the first vote and could we try and get it right this time?
I would have to say that his overbearing attitude was one of the things which ensured my No vote the last time.
Perhaps this time we will be treated like mature adults and not like kindergarten pupils who are expected to do as we are told because others think they know whats best for us. A proper explanation of what we are getting into would go a long way. Tackling the issues raised by anti Lisbon campaigners would also bring benefits, but only if they were explained in a reasonable and coherent manner instead of the shrill voiced condemnations we heard the last time. I have no doubt that the safest place to be during the upcoming recession is in a strong Europe but it has to be a Europe we can feel happy with. The Government is going to have to try a lot harder this time if it wants our support.
Yet again Limerick is in the news for all the wrong reasons. An innocent young man, by all accounts one of the quietest and most decent you could meet, is heartlessly cut down in a hail of bullets. The fact that he was apparently a victim of mistaken identity is of absolutely no comfort to his family and friends, or indeed should it be to the rest of us. As per usual we are treated to politicians wringing their hands and promising us even more draconian legislation, further diminishing our civil liberties. The problems with all these piecemeal bits of new law is that they usually only affect us, the silent majority. You can have all the laws you want but if they are not being enforced against the people they were enacted to counteract they are not only a waste but a sham. These people have time and time again shown their disdain and total disregard for the law and for the rest of the community. They are artists at getting their foul jobs done and are as knowledgeable as the Gardai when it comes to court .They expectations’ of politicians that an ordinary citizen is going to stand up in open court and give evidence is laughable. I believe wholeheartedly in the rule of law but even I would have serious qualms about giving evidence against these people.
Others have appealed to the thugs morals to try and deter them. Do these do gooders not realise that this scum live in a complete moral vacuum. They are in a business and will baulk at nothing to further their aims. Intimidation of witnesses is probably the cleanest of their activities, and from past experience they know it works. The only person to give evidence against Limerick murderers has for the past two and a half years been under twenty four hour armed Garda protection. How much is that costing us?
The only legislation we need is to enable these people to be tried in the Special Criminal Court, where the judges are experienced at this sort of thing. If the scum knew they were more than likely to be sentenced every time they came before the bench it might soften their cough a little. I am not offering this a total solution but we have to make a start somewhere. How many more innocent victims does it take for this Government to start taking its responsibilities seriously and do something to protect its citizens? We need action to put these people either permanently out of business or in a prison cell, and we need it now!
Does anyone remember why the HSE was set up?. The main reason given was that amalgamating the eleven health boards would lead to savings and a more coherent operation. Despite this there were never any redundancies in the previous boards staff and no economies of scale seemed to appear. And now? The HSE has decided to set up nine regional health authorities. If it wasn’t so serious it would be laughable.
Just a quick update on the KTK Community Liaison Committee. Progress has been painfully slow due to a number of reasons, all of which were outside the control of your committee representatives. Difficulties arose when trying to arrange meetings in the County Council offices, personnel changes meant having to continually update the newcomers and what seemed like a general lack of interest from the Council slowed down the process. Meetings were spaced so far apart that it was impossible to keep any sort of flow in the process. Meetings were called and then abandoned because the Council had neglected to inform all the members or because a Council official became unavailable. We had a meeting on February 26th and the next meeting did not take place until June 13th. It was agreed that the next meeting was to be July 15th and then September 18th. Neither of these took place and we did not meet again until November 12th. The full committee as it now stands appears to be on a better footing than heretofore and I am confident that future progress will be a lot speedier.
We encountered certain difficulties in the beginning trying to decide exactly what “ environmental” covered. Because of this the grants which were made, i.e. to Liffey Heights and the Tidy Towns committee were things which we all instantly recognised as environmental and deserving of funding. We also met some difficulty in trying to educate people in what exactly the fund was for. Requests for further information sometimes resulted in a submission very much like the original. Myself and Rose feel some of this was because of a lack of clarity in the letters from the Council and have requested that all future correspondence will be specific and will leave no doubt as to the information being requested, and the Council have agreed to this request.
The amount of money in the fund is to my mind quite substantial, and a further amount is expected as and when required. If properly handled it could fund quite a number of sensible grants over quite a long time and be of immense benefit to the natural and built environment of Ballymore Eustace.
A further meeting has been agreed for early next month and I will update you in next months Bugle.
All for now. Mike Edmonds.
BABY news!
Congratulations to Ben and Emma Kavanagh who were born on May 8th at just 24 weeks. They were one of the youngest ever twins born in the Rotunda Hospital and weighed in at just 1 lb 3oz and 1 lb 1oz respectively - tiny, but oh so perfect!
The first 12-36hrs were critical but thank God, they made it through thanks to the professionalism, dedication and love of all the staff on the N.I.C.U. unit at The Rotunda. The support and prayers of family, friends and neighbours was much appreciated over the following four months and many trips to hospital.
Emma arrived home on August 20th and Ben one week later, August 27th (their due date!). Grandparents Kay and Gus, proud parents Paula and Niall and big brother Will would like to thank you all for your thoughts and prayers which really helped them through a very worrying time.
Birthdays galore!
The Browne family are rolling in birthdays this month - happy 18th Birthday to Glen Browne, his auntie Trish Fennall (39 +1 seein’ as I can’t say she is 40), and to his Granny, Pat Browne on celebrating her 60th birthday recently.
Get well wishes
To Rita O’Rourke and Fr Sean Breen who haven’t been well recently; …..
Well done!
To Oliver Plunketts Minor Team who won the B Championship defeating St. Edwards 1 11to 0 11.
To Eamonn and Theresa O’Rourke who held a ball recently in aid of The Maher Hospital
To brother Gerard of Country Kitchens who donated a kitchen to Scoil Mhuire – very kind.
To the Ladies GAA Pros who have done a vanishing trick for the past two months…Vanished into thin air……..
Mary O’Driscoll who recently graduated from the Royal College of Surgeons whilst also becoming a first time Granny!
Anniversary wishes
Congratulations to Joan and Eugene Gilroy on celebrating their 40th Wedding Anniversary recently; their children and grandchildren ensure the continued success of the GAA in Ballymore!
In Reverse print, please:
The Editors extend our deepest sympathies to the families of the following:
The Late Alice Doyle Alice Doyle (nee Fleming) of Broadleas who died suddenly on October 25, 2008. This must be a very sad time for the Doyle family with Alice’s sister in law, Maureen having passed away a few weeks later – dreadful sad for both families. Alice is survived by her husband Sean, sister Sheila, nieces, nephews, sisters and brothers-in-law and extended family etc. Alice is buried in St. Nicholas of Myra Cemetery, Dunlavin. May she rest in peace, amen.
The Late Maureen Doyle Maureen Doyle (nee Ryan - formerly of Coole, Newport, Co. Tipperary) of Alliganstown died at home on November 6th having been ill for some time. Maureen battled with illness over the past few years but never let it dim her enthusiasm for life, family and of course, her golf which she loved! Golfing friends will miss her terribly and have already offered to pay tribute to Maureen in next month’s edition. Maureen is survived by husband Mark, sons - Mark, Emmet and Shane; grandchildren, sister, brothers, sisters-in-law, brothers-in-law, nieces, nephews and extended family. May she rest in peace, amen
The Late Ena Keenan Elsewhere in this edition we have run Kevin Junior’s tribute to his Mam and Rose’s recollection on Ena’s generosity and patience with children. Despite battling illness and arthritis over the years, Ena’s death was unexpected and her family were clearly devastated by their sudden loss. She is survived by her husband Kevin, daughters Anne, Theresa, Patricia and Bernadette, sons Thomas and Kevin, sisters and brothers, much loved grandchildren, sons and daughters in law plus members of the extended family. It was a tribute to Ena that such a huge contingent of the Keenan family travelled home from England and elsewhere to attend her farewell service. Sadly, Ena was pre-deceased by her daughter Maria Chamney and son in law, Tom Nugent. Originally from Dublin, Ena (nee Murray) settled into country life in Ballymore Eustace and made her home open to all; she had a special fondness for Hollywood village and it is at St Kevin’s Cemetery that she has been laid to rest. May she rest in peace, amen
The Late Kathleen Cowley It is with great sadness the Editors learned of the passing of Kathleen Cowley, Bishopland. Kathleen’s sister, May Dennison had passed away only a couple of months ago so once again, a local family have been hit by a double bereavement. Despite being ill, her death came as a sudden shock as Kathleen had been ill previously but had recovered well. Kathleen was the last of the Jackson family to survive having been predeceased by sisters, May and Margie, brothers Adam and Hubert.
She is survived by her children Margaret and sons Andy, Declan, Hubert and Noel, grandchildren, son and daughters in law and extended family. Kathleen is predeceased by her husband Andy who had a great interest in greyhounds and the couple were actively involved in several community groups and activities. It will be sad not to see Kathleen attending Andy’s grave at St Mary’s Cemetary which she visited frequently when in good health, they are together now in spirit and body. May she rest in peace, amen.
The late Pascal Deering Pascal Deering, formerly of Dunlavin and Ballymore Eustace, was one of Wicklow’s GAA stars and played on the County football team and in latter years, was an avid golfer. A long-time Fine Gael party member and former county councilor, Pascal will be remembered as a gentleman, not only for his work as a councillor but also from his profession in the insurance sector when he had many clients from the farming community throughout Co Wicklow. A son of Mark Deering, former Fine Gael TD and Irish rugby international, he is survived by his wife, Una, daughter Miriam and son Mark and the extended members of the Mahon and Deering families.
The Deering family lived at Barrack Street, Ballymore Eustace on their return from Australia in the early 1970s before moving to his native town, Dunlavin. May he rest in peace, amen.
Please note, owing to increased demand in advertising space and editorial submissions, we are holding over Jim Gaffney Tribute to December issue
Headin’ South!
“We’ll all be ruined says Hanrahan before the year is out,” This line from an old song comes to mind every time I turn on the radio, TV, or open a daily paper. Prime time, anytime, all the time, we listen to doom and gloom from experts and non-experts, yet not so long ago King Bertie at the height of his reign referred to such people as “loo-lahs”. A man on top of his brief one might say who couldn’t see the woods for the trees. Build and spend seemed to be the order of the day and to hell with keeping something for the rainy day. This man is barely a wet week out of the office and already we have The Life and Times of Bertie on TV. This same man was in charge of a government who suffered from acute squander mania when the country never had it so good and had no apparent thought for tomorrow. A few by passes built with the support of EU funds and the rest of our highways in a deplorable state, rat infested schools, our railroads needing upgrading, and a health system using trolleys for beds! Pass me the vomit bowl. You can watch this programme on Monday nights at 9.35pm; you can also watch The Simpsons! With such confidence coming from the top everyone joined in the spree and the whole country went on a borrowing binge. In recent times spending grew by 10% per year and from 1999 to 2007 personal debt rose from 20 billion to 140 billon we’re told.
With the country headin’ south drastic action was needed, so up to the plate steps that broth of a boy Brian and produces a ‘cure all’ budget. A cowardly budget would be a more apt name, for in order to get his finances into shape he went for the easy options: take it off the very old and the very young; they don’t have a trade union to fight their corner. He got some surprise, judging by the crowds that turned out on the streets to let him know that there was plenty of fight left in the ‘old dogs’. A hasty U-turn was made and then another one. Out of this sorry mess only one person did the honourably thing and resigned, his name slips my mind at the moment, but more power to his elbow. The Greens didn’t cover themselves with glory either, plenty of posturing and bladder in their efforts to justify the unjustifiable. Party before people is the mantra; hold on to power at all costs.
So has anyone out there got any ideas as to where we might start cost cutting apart from the very old or very young, not forgetting the withdrawal of the cervical cancer vaccine programme for 12 year olds. Lets start at the top of the tree. Recently I picked up this nugget of information,--- governing this small country with a population approximate to the population of Manchester we have, I kid you not, 166 TD’s, 60 Senators, 833 County and City Councillors, 744 Town and Borough Councillors, and a 154 State Agencies. I have no figures for consultancy firms who are frequently in demand to help keep the show on the road. Imagine if you can what the good people of Manchester might say or do if presented with the wage bill for that lot! Surely a bit of weeding out in the Public Sector wouldn’t go astray; for starters we could settle for a lesser number of TD’s, a lot lesser. What in the name of God are we doing with 20 Junior Ministers? Do we need a Senate? A cushy number for retiring or aspiring TDs; other countries seem to manage without one. RTE is another structure that could do with a bit of tidying up. Turn on your radio or TV at news time and you’ll get the same news churned out to you over and over again from a surplus of newsreaders or newscasters. The six o’clock news takes up practically a whole hour of repetition from correspondents around the country or around the world, yet at other times the same news can be wrapped up in jig time. At six o’clock we have Sharon and Bryan with correspondents from everywhere and nowhere giving them a helping hand, later on we have Eileen Dunne or Ann Doyle all on their own giving out the same information! Go figure, I can’t. The run up to the recent elections in America are a classic example of over kill. RTE correspondents, I lost count, scattered all over the States, giving us the state of play ad nauseam. Is the average Irish Joe Soap all that interested? Would the same coverage be given to a European country, we are supposed to be part of Europe, and most important of all, what was the cost of ferrying these people back and forth not forgetting the cost of keeping them there? In this modern age of telecommunications when news is flashed around the globe in a nano second and news shared with various news agencies, do we need a picture of Charlie Bird in Chicago, or Bryon Dobson standing in front of the White House, telling us how she goes in breath taking fashion? There’s probable lots more help lurking in the background; Director, Manager, Editor, there’s three possibilities right away for you. A bit of tidying up wouldn’t go astray in the RTE Authority. And look at the mess in the HSE. Centres of Excellence are a good idea but if managed by bureaucrats, and so far there’s been no mention of redundancies at the top end of the business, they will only add to the mess that already exists in the HSE. Don’t take my word for it ask any doctor or nurse, those who work at the coal face, and you’ll get an ear full I promise.
We’ll all have to trim our sails as we approach this financial storm be it little or large, but if the lifeboats have to be lowered I hope they won’t be filled with our Captain and crew, leaving the very old and very young to swim for shore!
Yrs Jeffers
Congratulations to Ben and Emma Kavanagh who were born on May 8th at just 24 weeks. They were one of the youngest ever twins born in the Rotunda Hospital and weighed in at just 1 lb 3oz and 1 lb 1oz respectively - tiny, but oh so perfect!
The first 12-36hrs were critical but thank God, they made it through thanks to the professionalism, dedication and love of all the staff on the N.I.C.U. unit at The Rotunda. The support and prayers of family, friends and neighbours was much appreciated over the following four months and many trips to hospital.
Emma arrived home on August 20th and Ben one week later, August 27th (their due date!). Grandparents Kay and Gus, proud parents Paula and Niall and big brother Will would like to thank you all for your thoughts and prayers which really helped them through a very worrying time.
Birthdays galore!
The Browne family are rolling in birthdays this month - happy 18th Birthday to Glen Browne, his auntie Trish Fennall (39 +1 seein’ as I can’t say she is 40), and to his Granny, Pat Browne on celebrating her 60th birthday recently.
Get well wishes
To Rita O’Rourke and Fr Sean Breen who haven’t been well recently; …..
Well done!
To Oliver Plunketts Minor Team who won the B Championship defeating St. Edwards 1 11to 0 11.
To Eamonn and Theresa O’Rourke who held a ball recently in aid of The Maher Hospital
To brother Gerard of Country Kitchens who donated a kitchen to Scoil Mhuire – very kind.
To the Ladies GAA Pros who have done a vanishing trick for the past two months…Vanished into thin air……..
Mary O’Driscoll who recently graduated from the Royal College of Surgeons whilst also becoming a first time Granny!
Anniversary wishes
Congratulations to Joan and Eugene Gilroy on celebrating their 40th Wedding Anniversary recently; their children and grandchildren ensure the continued success of the GAA in Ballymore!
In Reverse print, please:
The Editors extend our deepest sympathies to the families of the following:
The Late Alice Doyle Alice Doyle (nee Fleming) of Broadleas who died suddenly on October 25, 2008. This must be a very sad time for the Doyle family with Alice’s sister in law, Maureen having passed away a few weeks later – dreadful sad for both families. Alice is survived by her husband Sean, sister Sheila, nieces, nephews, sisters and brothers-in-law and extended family etc. Alice is buried in St. Nicholas of Myra Cemetery, Dunlavin. May she rest in peace, amen.
The Late Maureen Doyle Maureen Doyle (nee Ryan - formerly of Coole, Newport, Co. Tipperary) of Alliganstown died at home on November 6th having been ill for some time. Maureen battled with illness over the past few years but never let it dim her enthusiasm for life, family and of course, her golf which she loved! Golfing friends will miss her terribly and have already offered to pay tribute to Maureen in next month’s edition. Maureen is survived by husband Mark, sons - Mark, Emmet and Shane; grandchildren, sister, brothers, sisters-in-law, brothers-in-law, nieces, nephews and extended family. May she rest in peace, amen
The Late Ena Keenan Elsewhere in this edition we have run Kevin Junior’s tribute to his Mam and Rose’s recollection on Ena’s generosity and patience with children. Despite battling illness and arthritis over the years, Ena’s death was unexpected and her family were clearly devastated by their sudden loss. She is survived by her husband Kevin, daughters Anne, Theresa, Patricia and Bernadette, sons Thomas and Kevin, sisters and brothers, much loved grandchildren, sons and daughters in law plus members of the extended family. It was a tribute to Ena that such a huge contingent of the Keenan family travelled home from England and elsewhere to attend her farewell service. Sadly, Ena was pre-deceased by her daughter Maria Chamney and son in law, Tom Nugent. Originally from Dublin, Ena (nee Murray) settled into country life in Ballymore Eustace and made her home open to all; she had a special fondness for Hollywood village and it is at St Kevin’s Cemetery that she has been laid to rest. May she rest in peace, amen
The Late Kathleen Cowley It is with great sadness the Editors learned of the passing of Kathleen Cowley, Bishopland. Kathleen’s sister, May Dennison had passed away only a couple of months ago so once again, a local family have been hit by a double bereavement. Despite being ill, her death came as a sudden shock as Kathleen had been ill previously but had recovered well. Kathleen was the last of the Jackson family to survive having been predeceased by sisters, May and Margie, brothers Adam and Hubert.
She is survived by her children Margaret and sons Andy, Declan, Hubert and Noel, grandchildren, son and daughters in law and extended family. Kathleen is predeceased by her husband Andy who had a great interest in greyhounds and the couple were actively involved in several community groups and activities. It will be sad not to see Kathleen attending Andy’s grave at St Mary’s Cemetary which she visited frequently when in good health, they are together now in spirit and body. May she rest in peace, amen.
The late Pascal Deering Pascal Deering, formerly of Dunlavin and Ballymore Eustace, was one of Wicklow’s GAA stars and played on the County football team and in latter years, was an avid golfer. A long-time Fine Gael party member and former county councilor, Pascal will be remembered as a gentleman, not only for his work as a councillor but also from his profession in the insurance sector when he had many clients from the farming community throughout Co Wicklow. A son of Mark Deering, former Fine Gael TD and Irish rugby international, he is survived by his wife, Una, daughter Miriam and son Mark and the extended members of the Mahon and Deering families.
The Deering family lived at Barrack Street, Ballymore Eustace on their return from Australia in the early 1970s before moving to his native town, Dunlavin. May he rest in peace, amen.
Please note, owing to increased demand in advertising space and editorial submissions, we are holding over Jim Gaffney Tribute to December issue
Headin’ South!
“We’ll all be ruined says Hanrahan before the year is out,” This line from an old song comes to mind every time I turn on the radio, TV, or open a daily paper. Prime time, anytime, all the time, we listen to doom and gloom from experts and non-experts, yet not so long ago King Bertie at the height of his reign referred to such people as “loo-lahs”. A man on top of his brief one might say who couldn’t see the woods for the trees. Build and spend seemed to be the order of the day and to hell with keeping something for the rainy day. This man is barely a wet week out of the office and already we have The Life and Times of Bertie on TV. This same man was in charge of a government who suffered from acute squander mania when the country never had it so good and had no apparent thought for tomorrow. A few by passes built with the support of EU funds and the rest of our highways in a deplorable state, rat infested schools, our railroads needing upgrading, and a health system using trolleys for beds! Pass me the vomit bowl. You can watch this programme on Monday nights at 9.35pm; you can also watch The Simpsons! With such confidence coming from the top everyone joined in the spree and the whole country went on a borrowing binge. In recent times spending grew by 10% per year and from 1999 to 2007 personal debt rose from 20 billion to 140 billon we’re told.
With the country headin’ south drastic action was needed, so up to the plate steps that broth of a boy Brian and produces a ‘cure all’ budget. A cowardly budget would be a more apt name, for in order to get his finances into shape he went for the easy options: take it off the very old and the very young; they don’t have a trade union to fight their corner. He got some surprise, judging by the crowds that turned out on the streets to let him know that there was plenty of fight left in the ‘old dogs’. A hasty U-turn was made and then another one. Out of this sorry mess only one person did the honourably thing and resigned, his name slips my mind at the moment, but more power to his elbow. The Greens didn’t cover themselves with glory either, plenty of posturing and bladder in their efforts to justify the unjustifiable. Party before people is the mantra; hold on to power at all costs.
So has anyone out there got any ideas as to where we might start cost cutting apart from the very old or very young, not forgetting the withdrawal of the cervical cancer vaccine programme for 12 year olds. Lets start at the top of the tree. Recently I picked up this nugget of information,--- governing this small country with a population approximate to the population of Manchester we have, I kid you not, 166 TD’s, 60 Senators, 833 County and City Councillors, 744 Town and Borough Councillors, and a 154 State Agencies. I have no figures for consultancy firms who are frequently in demand to help keep the show on the road. Imagine if you can what the good people of Manchester might say or do if presented with the wage bill for that lot! Surely a bit of weeding out in the Public Sector wouldn’t go astray; for starters we could settle for a lesser number of TD’s, a lot lesser. What in the name of God are we doing with 20 Junior Ministers? Do we need a Senate? A cushy number for retiring or aspiring TDs; other countries seem to manage without one. RTE is another structure that could do with a bit of tidying up. Turn on your radio or TV at news time and you’ll get the same news churned out to you over and over again from a surplus of newsreaders or newscasters. The six o’clock news takes up practically a whole hour of repetition from correspondents around the country or around the world, yet at other times the same news can be wrapped up in jig time. At six o’clock we have Sharon and Bryan with correspondents from everywhere and nowhere giving them a helping hand, later on we have Eileen Dunne or Ann Doyle all on their own giving out the same information! Go figure, I can’t. The run up to the recent elections in America are a classic example of over kill. RTE correspondents, I lost count, scattered all over the States, giving us the state of play ad nauseam. Is the average Irish Joe Soap all that interested? Would the same coverage be given to a European country, we are supposed to be part of Europe, and most important of all, what was the cost of ferrying these people back and forth not forgetting the cost of keeping them there? In this modern age of telecommunications when news is flashed around the globe in a nano second and news shared with various news agencies, do we need a picture of Charlie Bird in Chicago, or Bryon Dobson standing in front of the White House, telling us how she goes in breath taking fashion? There’s probable lots more help lurking in the background; Director, Manager, Editor, there’s three possibilities right away for you. A bit of tidying up wouldn’t go astray in the RTE Authority. And look at the mess in the HSE. Centres of Excellence are a good idea but if managed by bureaucrats, and so far there’s been no mention of redundancies at the top end of the business, they will only add to the mess that already exists in the HSE. Don’t take my word for it ask any doctor or nurse, those who work at the coal face, and you’ll get an ear full I promise.
We’ll all have to trim our sails as we approach this financial storm be it little or large, but if the lifeboats have to be lowered I hope they won’t be filled with our Captain and crew, leaving the very old and very young to swim for shore!
Yrs Jeffers
Matt’s Memories
Stroke Victims
Since I had my stroke I find I am continually losing things but then finding them unexpectedly – the finding is nice but the searching is not! Two other locals that I know had strokes were Ned Deegan and Jimmy Turner. Recently, I was pleased to see Ned, near Gerry Blake’s Pharmacy, heading uptown without the aid of a stick. Jimmy I met at St Mary’s Cemetery as he and his wife were over here from England on holidays. Four years beforehand, Jimmy had suffered a stroke.
The Singer
On September 7, Mick Foster was featured in a Sunday Independent article by Jerome Reilly. Seemingly, he has a great interest in Native American history and culture. Mick is one half of the Foster and Allen Team. In times past, Mick spent his formative years here in Ballymore Eustace before moving to Mullingar. His aunt, Bridget Cooke (nee Foster), still lives in Dowdenstown. I often met Bridget and her husband John at St Mary’s Cemetery as they lovingly cared for the grave of Bridget’s parents.
Poland
By the time you read this Mary Carroll, wife of the late Guard Tom Carroll, formerly of Ballymore Eustace and now of Ballylinan, will have returned from her latest tour - to Poland.
Show Blessed and Dbest.
Show Blessed ran fourth over hurdles at Bellewstown on July 28 and was also fourth in a chase at Listowel on September 19. Dbest meanwhile won on the flat at Dundalk on September 15 at 4/1 and was also down the field there on September 26.
Good Operator
Sean Mulryan’s Good Operator was down the field at the Curragh on September 28 in the feature race won by Soul City for Richard Hannon who trains in England. Richard Hughes, son of Irish trainer - Dessie Hughes, rode the winner.
Liam’s View
I was pleased to read Liam Evans enjoys my Memories Articles even though they are, as I know, sometimes imperfect. Sorry to see in the September Bugle that Anne Evans died in an accident on September 7. Joe Evans is a brother of Liam, Tony and the late Kathleen Daniels.
Institution of the Reverend Leonard Ruddock
In the September Bugle, it was great to see the lovely photo of Bobbie Grattan and Maria Wolfe at the institution of the Reverend Leonard Ruddock at the Church of St Mary’s, Blessington. The Bugle also contained photos of other people at the institution that I recognised.
Departed
The death occurred of Mary (May) Dennison(nee Jackson) of Bridge View, Ballymore Eustace, Naas, Co. Kildare R.I.P. May died on September 6, 2008 and was the wife of the late Christy and mother of Anne, Christopher, David, Paul and Catherine. She was the sister of Kay, daughters-in-law Máire and Geraldine, son-in-law Stan, grandchildren David, Sarah, Ceara, Katrina, Abigail, Chloe and Emily, nieces, nephews, relatives and friends. May was buried beside her husband Christy at St Mary's Cemetery, Ballymore Eustace. In days gone by, our family visited the Dennison household to watch the English Grand National on TV. The Dennisons were one of the first in Ballymore Eustace to have TV whereas our family was one of the last. Our father did not approve of TV but made exceptions for important races!
I was sorry to see from the September Bugle that Dora O’Brien’s brother John Creighton of Kill died R.I.P. John died on August 26 and is buried at Eadestown Cemetery.
The death occurred of Geraldine McCarthy (nee Burke) of The Elms, Punchestown on August 27, 2008 R.I.P. Her husband Denis, children Helga, Naomi, Aubrey and Fergal, grandchildren Richard, Laura and Emma, daughter-in-law Esther, John and Richard survive Geraldine. Geraldine is buried in Eadestown Cemetery. I did not know Geraldine but her husband Denis was our auctioneer when we ran a number of auctions to raise money to build the 40 by 20 alley and community centre. On such occasions, Michael Dowling was Denis’s right hand man and both of them did Trojan work for the handball and community centre causes. During my UCD days, Geraldine’s late brother Tony was a good friend to me and gave me notes on several legal subjects.
The death occurred of Frank Flynn. Frank lived at Hallahoise, Castledermot Co. Kildare and was formerly of Donard, Co. Wicklow. He died on August 5, 2008. His wife Mary, sons David, Raymond and John, brothers, sisters, brothers-in-law, sisters-in-law, daughter-in-law June, nieces, nephews, relatives and friends survive Frank R.I.P. Frank was buried at Coltstown Cemetery. In his younger days, Frank was a good handball player who represented Wicklow. I knew his brother Eddie best and had a good chat with him at the Tallagh County Hall before I retired from work.
My former workmate Maurice McDonough of Artane, Dublin died on August 21, 2008 R.I.P. Maurice worked most recently with Fingal County Council. When we both worked for Dublin County Council I often dealt with Maurice.
Thomas McCormack died at Tallaght Hospital on September 13, 2008 R.I.P. Tom was one of my Dublin neighbours. Tom is buried at Bohernabreena Cemetery.
Christy Dodd of Chasefield, Cloonloo, Boyle, Co. Sligo died on September 17, 2008 at Sligo General Hospital R.I.P. Christy was the father of my former work colleague Geraldine Condon who now works with the Law Department, Dun Laoghaire/Rathdown County Council.
© Matt Purcell (September 28, 2008)
Village Green Garden Club
The Club welcomed all the new and old members back to its first club night on Sept 25th. Maura Greene from Dunlavin got us off to a great start with a night dedicated to roses. She is a keen rose enthusiast and shared with the club members her vast knowledge on the subject of rose growing.
This month’s club night is on October 30th and the guest speaker is Kay Hartigan. Kay will be discussing all aspects of garden design and will be doing a workshop for club members. Members who have an area of the garden they have a problem with should bring photo of the area and Kay will give members her advice and suggestions. Club night commences at 7.30 and new members are welcome.
It was ten years ago this month…………..
Ballymore was in a depression as well as the rest of the county when Kildare were beatn by Galway in the All Ireland Final. “Lily left at the Altar” headed Rose’s piece atop a photo of “Sam & Lily” The planning controversy rumbled on. “The Man from Ballydallagh” was oded to by yours truly. Rose wrote a personal Lenten memoir. Michael had a piece about Barrister & Eileen Cassidy.
Vivo had wines from 3.99, Weetabix at 1.09 Tea Bags at 1.25 ( all pounds of course) The Tidy Towns Committee were awarded 205 out of a possible 300 marks. The Carthy ladies were busy with the arrival of Dylan & Conor. Ballymore U-14’s beat Rathangan starring some names to conjure up memories,whilst Vincent kavanagh was presented with an award for his work with underage GAA by Karl O’Dwyer. And sadly Maisie Deegan passed on in her 85th year.
Stroke Victims
Since I had my stroke I find I am continually losing things but then finding them unexpectedly – the finding is nice but the searching is not! Two other locals that I know had strokes were Ned Deegan and Jimmy Turner. Recently, I was pleased to see Ned, near Gerry Blake’s Pharmacy, heading uptown without the aid of a stick. Jimmy I met at St Mary’s Cemetery as he and his wife were over here from England on holidays. Four years beforehand, Jimmy had suffered a stroke.
The Singer
On September 7, Mick Foster was featured in a Sunday Independent article by Jerome Reilly. Seemingly, he has a great interest in Native American history and culture. Mick is one half of the Foster and Allen Team. In times past, Mick spent his formative years here in Ballymore Eustace before moving to Mullingar. His aunt, Bridget Cooke (nee Foster), still lives in Dowdenstown. I often met Bridget and her husband John at St Mary’s Cemetery as they lovingly cared for the grave of Bridget’s parents.
Poland
By the time you read this Mary Carroll, wife of the late Guard Tom Carroll, formerly of Ballymore Eustace and now of Ballylinan, will have returned from her latest tour - to Poland.
Show Blessed and Dbest.
Show Blessed ran fourth over hurdles at Bellewstown on July 28 and was also fourth in a chase at Listowel on September 19. Dbest meanwhile won on the flat at Dundalk on September 15 at 4/1 and was also down the field there on September 26.
Good Operator
Sean Mulryan’s Good Operator was down the field at the Curragh on September 28 in the feature race won by Soul City for Richard Hannon who trains in England. Richard Hughes, son of Irish trainer - Dessie Hughes, rode the winner.
Liam’s View
I was pleased to read Liam Evans enjoys my Memories Articles even though they are, as I know, sometimes imperfect. Sorry to see in the September Bugle that Anne Evans died in an accident on September 7. Joe Evans is a brother of Liam, Tony and the late Kathleen Daniels.
Institution of the Reverend Leonard Ruddock
In the September Bugle, it was great to see the lovely photo of Bobbie Grattan and Maria Wolfe at the institution of the Reverend Leonard Ruddock at the Church of St Mary’s, Blessington. The Bugle also contained photos of other people at the institution that I recognised.
Departed
The death occurred of Mary (May) Dennison(nee Jackson) of Bridge View, Ballymore Eustace, Naas, Co. Kildare R.I.P. May died on September 6, 2008 and was the wife of the late Christy and mother of Anne, Christopher, David, Paul and Catherine. She was the sister of Kay, daughters-in-law Máire and Geraldine, son-in-law Stan, grandchildren David, Sarah, Ceara, Katrina, Abigail, Chloe and Emily, nieces, nephews, relatives and friends. May was buried beside her husband Christy at St Mary's Cemetery, Ballymore Eustace. In days gone by, our family visited the Dennison household to watch the English Grand National on TV. The Dennisons were one of the first in Ballymore Eustace to have TV whereas our family was one of the last. Our father did not approve of TV but made exceptions for important races!
I was sorry to see from the September Bugle that Dora O’Brien’s brother John Creighton of Kill died R.I.P. John died on August 26 and is buried at Eadestown Cemetery.
The death occurred of Geraldine McCarthy (nee Burke) of The Elms, Punchestown on August 27, 2008 R.I.P. Her husband Denis, children Helga, Naomi, Aubrey and Fergal, grandchildren Richard, Laura and Emma, daughter-in-law Esther, John and Richard survive Geraldine. Geraldine is buried in Eadestown Cemetery. I did not know Geraldine but her husband Denis was our auctioneer when we ran a number of auctions to raise money to build the 40 by 20 alley and community centre. On such occasions, Michael Dowling was Denis’s right hand man and both of them did Trojan work for the handball and community centre causes. During my UCD days, Geraldine’s late brother Tony was a good friend to me and gave me notes on several legal subjects.
The death occurred of Frank Flynn. Frank lived at Hallahoise, Castledermot Co. Kildare and was formerly of Donard, Co. Wicklow. He died on August 5, 2008. His wife Mary, sons David, Raymond and John, brothers, sisters, brothers-in-law, sisters-in-law, daughter-in-law June, nieces, nephews, relatives and friends survive Frank R.I.P. Frank was buried at Coltstown Cemetery. In his younger days, Frank was a good handball player who represented Wicklow. I knew his brother Eddie best and had a good chat with him at the Tallagh County Hall before I retired from work.
My former workmate Maurice McDonough of Artane, Dublin died on August 21, 2008 R.I.P. Maurice worked most recently with Fingal County Council. When we both worked for Dublin County Council I often dealt with Maurice.
Thomas McCormack died at Tallaght Hospital on September 13, 2008 R.I.P. Tom was one of my Dublin neighbours. Tom is buried at Bohernabreena Cemetery.
Christy Dodd of Chasefield, Cloonloo, Boyle, Co. Sligo died on September 17, 2008 at Sligo General Hospital R.I.P. Christy was the father of my former work colleague Geraldine Condon who now works with the Law Department, Dun Laoghaire/Rathdown County Council.
© Matt Purcell (September 28, 2008)
Village Green Garden Club
The Club welcomed all the new and old members back to its first club night on Sept 25th. Maura Greene from Dunlavin got us off to a great start with a night dedicated to roses. She is a keen rose enthusiast and shared with the club members her vast knowledge on the subject of rose growing.
This month’s club night is on October 30th and the guest speaker is Kay Hartigan. Kay will be discussing all aspects of garden design and will be doing a workshop for club members. Members who have an area of the garden they have a problem with should bring photo of the area and Kay will give members her advice and suggestions. Club night commences at 7.30 and new members are welcome.
It was ten years ago this month…………..
Ballymore was in a depression as well as the rest of the county when Kildare were beatn by Galway in the All Ireland Final. “Lily left at the Altar” headed Rose’s piece atop a photo of “Sam & Lily” The planning controversy rumbled on. “The Man from Ballydallagh” was oded to by yours truly. Rose wrote a personal Lenten memoir. Michael had a piece about Barrister & Eileen Cassidy.
Vivo had wines from 3.99, Weetabix at 1.09 Tea Bags at 1.25 ( all pounds of course) The Tidy Towns Committee were awarded 205 out of a possible 300 marks. The Carthy ladies were busy with the arrival of Dylan & Conor. Ballymore U-14’s beat Rathangan starring some names to conjure up memories,whilst Vincent kavanagh was presented with an award for his work with underage GAA by Karl O’Dwyer. And sadly Maisie Deegan passed on in her 85th year.
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