Direct from Durrow

The Annual Christmas Craft Fair will take place in The Castle Arms Hotel, Durrow on Saturday, November 11th from 11am to 5.30pm. Crafts people from far and wide will present their unique Christmas gifts at affordable prices. Admission – FREE! Come Browse & Buy! For more information please contact – Mary (087) 2200199 or contact her at durrowcraftfairs@gmail.com by email.

Get carving your pumpkins and present your finished pumpkin on the Halloween green at Tae Lane at 3 pm on the Bank Holiday Monday   afternoon of October 30th. Make sure to put your name with a marker on the base of the pumpkin. An entry fee of just €2 can be paid to Ann Conroy or Margaret Conroy on the day. All money collected will be given back in prizes. You are invited to leave your pumpkin on the Green that night if you so wish – we stress that this is at your own discretion as we cannot  guarantee that they will not be damaged etc… All the pumpkins will be lit at dusk on Halloween night so that they can be seen at their best for the Halloween trick-or-treaters. We do ask that everyone collects their pumpkins on Wednesday the 1st of November. Get carving!!!

The Durrow Development Forum Annual  General Meeting will be held in the Library on Chapel Street on Wednesday November 8th at 8pm. All are most welcome to attend.

Cullohill Tidy Towns will hold a Fancy Dress Party on Saturday night, October 28th in O’Connells, Cullohill Village. Come along for the prizes and the craic and see who’s making a surprise visit on the night?!!

A Parent and Toddler group will continue in the Presentation Hall, Durrow on Tuesdays from 9.30am. Any parents, carers, childminders etc… interested in attending with their little people, suitable from baby stage up to pre-school for a play, chat, cuppa and cake are most welcome to attend. For information contact (086) 3914725. We will hold a few sessions over the coming weeks to gauge interest and sustainability of the group.

Interested in joining a Social Group in Durrow? If interested please phone (086) 2224178 for more information or meet up in Bowe’s Café this Saturday   afternoon, October 27th at 1pm to discuss creating a book club/social group in Durrow. Hoping to expand to other activities such as: cinema, tasting nights, going for a drink, baking, dinner out, knitting, etc… Open to all and all ideas welcome. We hope to see you there!

The Arthritis Ireland Kilkenny branch hold their local coffee chat every Saturday morning from 11am until 12 noon in the fantastic Ossory Park Community Centre. Do you live with Fibromyalgia or Arthritis? Don’t suffer alone! Come for a chat, get out of the house, make new friends and know you’re not alone – Looking forward to meeting you, we’ll have the kettle on! To find out more information you can call or text (087) 1491767.

With the shorter evenings all paddling is now at weekends only due to shorter daylight hours. Please keep an eye out on Facebook page and Viber for information about our weekend trips. Pool Sessions: Pool sessions will be starting soon in  conjunction with Balto canoeing club, please keep an eye on our facebook and viber to get details on same.

There have been a number of outbreaks of crayfish plagues this summer, this is a disease that kills Irish crayfish. We are advising kayakers to follow these instructions if paddling the following rivers; the River Barrow, the River Suir and the River Deel. If these are your local rivers, please follow these guidelines before travelling to other water courses. Following each trip, all paddle sports equipment should be routinely inspected, disinfected and      thoroughly dried out. Drain water from watercraft and inspect inside and out and all other gear. Remove and safely dispose of all attached plant and animal material, mud or debris. Full details are in the club house and on our     Facebook page.

We are founded and based in Durrow and have a huge commitment to  encouraging our youth to participate. Follow us on Facebook under Laois Kayak and Canoe Club or on our website at www.laoiskayak.com online.

Church Cleaning Rota – November 2017: Mary Kennedy, Mary Walsh, Gabriel Daz, Miriam and Pat Connolly. Mass Readers: Saturdays – October 28th: Noreen Joyce; November 4th and 11th: Kay Sheppard Sundays – October 29th: Liam Phelan; November 5th and 12th: Bea Alley.

The Presentation Centre beside the Catholic Church is available for hire. For further information please contact Angela on (087) 1928522.

to Mark Kelly, Carrigan Street, Durrow and Bríd Lalor, Cashel, Ballyroan on their recent marriage.

Congratulations to Seamus Clancy, Barnhill, Durrow and Shannon Mockler, Seandoire, Durrow on their recent engagement.

We would like to express our congratulations and best wishes to Gearoid Ryan on his appointment to the position of Supervisor of the Community Employment Scheme in Durrow. We the committee look forward to a great working relationship with Gearoid and his team.

Durrow Community Services are looking to recruit a Catering Assistant to work with our busy Meals On Wheels service, a Groundskeeper for the Lions Soccer Club Durrow and another Groundskeeper at The Harps GAA Club Durrow. For further information on these positions or to apply please contact (057) 8736870 during office hours on any weekday.

As the dark evenings draw in why not stay active and walk in the safety and the company of others. Walking continues every Monday and Friday evening leaving Cullohill     community centre at 7.30 pm sharp. Free activity,All welcome.

South Laois Tourism will hold the popular McGiollaphadraig Way Walk on October Bank Holiday Monday. Starting  @ 12 noon Cullahill Castle with reg. from 11.30am. The walk will bring you through the spectacular  views of Cullahill Mountain and the Ballagh Hill to the finish in Durrow where refreshments will be held in Dec’s Bar. For information contact (087) 2395357.