Direct from Durrow

The Brophy Family, Ballinaslee sincerely wish to thank everyone who sympathised with them on their recent sad loss.

The School of Psychology in Trinity College Dublin are currently seeking male and female participants over the age of 60 to take part in a study examining decision-making and health. The study can be completed online or in person, and will take approximately 25 minutes to complete. For more information please contact Sinead on (083) 8342455 or by email at moyletts@tcd.ie – alternatively you can complete this survey at www.surveygizmo.com/s3/2557836/TCD-Decision-Making-Health online.

A book with 200 pages of Photographs spanning almost 100 years of Durrow and Cullohill memories including ICA, Hurling, Camogie, Soccer, School to mention but a few. Books for sale €25 each or two for €40. Please text or call Tom on (087) 2936531 or Kathleen on (086) 8263368.

CONGRATULATIONS to Tanya Aylward, Patrick St, Durrow and Patrick O’Shea, Gathabawn, Co. Kilkenny on their recent Engagement.

Laois Branch of Arthritis Ireland are pleased to invite you to a “Free Information Evening” at The Killeshin Hotel on Mon 12th Sept at 6.30pm. Speakers will include Ms Ellen Roche, Reg. Dietitian who will speak about “Food & Nutrition to help tame the flame of Arthritis” and Ms Majella Fennelly, Laois Sports Partnership who will speak about the benefits of Keeping Active. All welcome. Further enquiries to (089) 2525344.

Tuesday 2nd August 2016: There was no jackpot winner of €8,150. The Numbers drawn were: 09, 17, 20 and 24. The small draw winners were: €30: Miriam Leaver, Birr, Co. Offaly; €25: Declan Fennell, Dereen, Durrow, Co. Laois; €20: Padraig Phelan, Oldtown, Cullohill, Co. Laois.

Monday 8th August 2016: There was no jackpot winner of €8,300. The Numbers drawn were: 04, 09, 15 and 28. The small draw winners were: €30: Sarah Brophy; €25: Dan Deegan,    Oldtown, Cullohill, Co. Laois; €20: Margaret Ryan, Cork Rd, Durrow, Co. Laois.

Monday 15th August 2016: There was no jackpot winner of €8,450. The Numbers drawn were: 15, 17, 25, and 26. The small draw winners were: €30: Paul Phelan; €25: Marie Phelan, Cork Road, Durrow, Co. Laois; €20: Paddy O’Hara.

Monday 22nd August 2016: There was no jackpot winner of €8,600. The Numbers drawn were: 22, 24, 25 and 28. The small draw winners were: €30: Nancy Campion, Derrywood,Durrow, Laois; €25: Terence Jacob, Carrigan St, Durrow, Laois; €20: Terence Jacob, Carrigan St, Durrow, Laois.

The next meeting is on September 6th in Cullohill Community Centre.

Calling all residents to come out on Tuesday nights to clean and tidy outside your own home and premises, there is a lot to be done. Volunteers along with Durrow Development Forum, have been working over the past few weeks to weed, clean and plant around the town, all help is needed. If you can come out on Tuesday nights to sweep and clean around your own home it would be greatly appreciated.

Watering Flowers: We ask residents to help water any flowers planted in your area either in baskets, pots or flower beds.

Anyone looking for help can contact us on (087) 3476012.

Laois County Council is happy to announce the reopening of the library in Durrow situated at the old Courthouse on Chapel St. The library will be open on Tuesdays from 1.30pm until 5.30pm and 6pm until 7.30pm; Wednesdays from 10am until 1.30pm and 2pm until 5.30pm; also Saturdays from 11am until 1pm. Membership to the library is free to all and provides a range of services for the community, so call in and say hello!

A vacancy has opened in the Country Market for anyone interested in selling Home=Made Cakes, Buns, Breads, etc… For further information please   contact Marie Clooney on (087) 7742506 or drop by the Saturday Market.

Home Instead Senior Care is the largest non-medical home care provider in Ireland. We urgently require Care Givers in the Durrow and Cullohill  areas. Candidates should have completed or be studying a FETAC Level 5 Qualification or Equivalent. Patient moving and handling qualification and experience is an advantage. Fluent English and own transport essential. Must have a kind, dependable and trustworthy nature. Please call Philomena on (045) 484623 orphilomena.clarke@homeinstead.ie by email

Durrow-Cullohill Parish Anglers held a pike fishing competition for the O’Duain Cup recently. The fishing was very good and the winner was Ian Drennan, with David Walsh in second place and in third place was Tommy Coffey. The following weekend the fourth round of the Richard O’Rourke trophy was fished on Grantstown Lake and Jonathan Stapleton won the prize with Mick Walsh in second place and Patrick O’Regan in third place.

Then on the following weekend the club held the fifth and final round of the Richard O’Rourke trophy which was also fished on Grantstown Lake. The winner of the fifth round was Alan Dwyer with Patrick O’Regan in second place and David Walsh in third place.

After the competition the overall winner was  announced and it was Patrick O’Regan. A pike fishing competition for the Con Geoghegan Memorial Cup was held on Sunday August 21st and the winner was Ian Drennan, second Sean Geoghegan and third Pat Dunphy. The next angling competition will be the last trout fishing competition of the year and it will be fished on Sunday September 11th for the Paddy Holohan Memorial Cup.

Paddle Fest 2016: Don’t forget to book your place at the Paddlefest. It’s a wonderful family weekend. Recommended to every family new to kayaking and for those looking to improve. Paddlefest takes place from September 16th to 18th!

Wednesday Paddle: The clubhouse is open as normal this Wednesday evening from 7.15pm for members. €5 to use club gear. Please confirm in advance if you are coming along.

National Blueway: A great club day out was had in Graignamanagh at the national Blueway 10K on  Saturday 20th August. Well done to everyone who took part and in particular to our new members on achieving the distance for the first time. A special mention to Kilkenny Aqua Canoe Club for organising the event – a job well done!

Beat the Barge: The Annual Vicarstown “Beat the Barge” Canal Fest will take place on 17th September, this clashes with Paddlefest for younger members but for those not attending Paddlefest this is a great event and well worth competing in.

The Captain’s Prize of Jack’s Golf Society was held on a lovely sunny day in Naas Golf Club, the home club of the captain, Pat Alley. A very enjoyable day was had by all. The results were: First – Cathal Phelan, Second – Liam Delahunty and Third – John Phelan. The front Nine was won by: Leo Dunne and the back Nine by: Jimmy Joyce. Well done to all the prize winners!

Congratulations to John Clooney, formerly of  Erkindale Drive, Durrow, now living in Clough on winning three medals at the World and European Clay Pigeon Shooting. John won an Irish team Gold Medal in the European’s, an Irish Team Silver in the World and to top it off an Individual Bronze in World Championship Class A. This is truly an amazing achievement by John and we all wish him well in the future.

Harps U14s Qualify for County Final – Congratulations to the Harps U14 Hurlers who had a great win over Portlaoise last weekend to qualify for the final of the U14 championship. The team was slow to start but once they settled they got on top midway through the first half and ran out comprehensive winners.

The final is scheduled for next Saturday at 12pm in O’Moore Park. Abbeyleix  provide the opposition and although the same  opposition beat The Harps in the Feile Final this year, all involved are confident of overturning the result.

Best of luck next weekend! Harps Panel: Luke Dunphy, Stephen Murphy, Mikey Monahan, Dan Kirby, Jim O’Connor, Tiarnach Doheny, Patrick Daly, James Duggan, Ben Dunphy, Rian Edwards, Conor Delaney, Cody Comerford, Cathal Murphy, Mark Holland,    Ciarán Burke, Darragh Kelly, Darren O’Neill, Jack Murphy, Dylan Foyle, Jake Downey, Darragh Conroy, Daniel Murphy, Eoghan Whelan. Kevin McNeill, Oisin Conroy.

Thank You: A big thank you is extended to Kieran McEvoy for replacing four jerseys on the Oldtown Construction set, replacing the crossbars in the Durrow field and repairs to the Cullohill dug-outs amongst other things. We would like to thank Kieran for his ongoing support.

Win €500 per Month with The Harps GAA – Third Time Lucky Lotto! The club would like to hear from supporters who may be interested in participating in our new monthly lotto. The draw will be limited to the first 47 names who sign up. Each person will get a random number between 1 and 47 which      becomes their number costing €20 per month.

The winner of €500 will be determined by the bonus ball in the main National Lotto draw on the third Saturday of the month – hence third time lucky! If interested, please contact Seamus (087) 2797214 or email the club secretary on theharpsgaa@gmail.com – further details including terms and conditions will be posted on the club’s website: www.theharpsgaa.com online.

Minor Footballers in County Final: Best of luck to our Minor Football Team who will face The Heath in the Minor B County Final this Monday, August 29th at 7.30pm in O’Moore Park, Portlaoise. We appeal to all supporters to come along and be the sixteenth.

Our Trip To Croker – Huge congratulations and well done to our U12 Camogie Team who took part in the Camogie Associations ‘Camán to Croker’ Initiative in Croke Park on the 8th August last. The Club entered Hurl Smart Week back in June and as a result were delighted to be selected to take part in this year’s event. With the first game scheduled for 10am the bus set out from Cullohill and Durrow in the early hours and headed to the hallowed grounds.

A very enjoyable day saw the girls take to the famous pitch for three games over the course of the morning. The opposing teams were St. Kevins of Dublin, Donaghmore/Ashbourne of Meath and          Ballynestragh of Wexford. And how they rose to the occasion! All 19 players played out of their skins, putting on a tremendous display of skill and talent and achieving great success. ‘A joy to watch’. A most exciting day also for Molly O’Connor who refereed two games.

Following the excitement on the pitch, the girls, their mentors, parents and other family members went on a guided tour of Croke Park where they walked in the footsteps of legends as they visited the team dressing rooms, warm up areas, private lounge and media centre before going pitch-side via the players’ tunnel. They entered the Hogan stand via the winners steps and looked back down to the pitch and we’re sure many of the girls secretly imagined themselves taking the very same steps to hold aloft the All   Ireland Cup sometime in the future. Then to the VIP area where they were given a detailed history of Croke Park and the naming of the different stands. They entered the upper tier on the Canal end and got to see Hawkeye and a bird’s eye view of the whole Park.

The group then got to explore the GAA Museum with its new exhibition galleries that vividly illustrate the story of Gaelic games from ancient times to the present day. They saw various medals and awards,     including Sonia O’Sullivan’s and Katie Taylor’s Olympic medals. They also got to test out their skills in the interactive games zone. This was a fantastic occasion for all the U12 players and their mentors,   parents and the travelling supporters, they had a great day which will remain in the memory for many years to come.

Camán to Croker is a fantastic initiative which focuses on a very important group, players under 12 years of age. It provides them with an opportunity to experience the skills and fun of the game and leaves them with fantastic memories of playing in Croke Park, a place where all young players aspire to play.

Team: Brid Drennan, Rachael Deegan, Aislinn Townsend, Abbi Townsend, Katie Healy, Blathnaid Deegan, Lucy O’Connor, Emma Delahunty, Cara Henderson Ella Henderson, Abbie Gibbons, Lisa Kirby, Una     Brophy, Eva Dunphy, Rachael Dollard, Orlaith Whyte, Emma Delaney, Caoimhe Doheny, Amy Lacey.

Mentors: Padraig Henderson, Kay O’Connor, Joan Dollard.

Kettlebell and Bodyweight Training: Training with Kettlebells gives you a fantastic cardiovascular workout along with the muscle toning benefits of weight    training, without an increase in muscle mass. Kettlebell training has been proven by recent ACE  research as the most effective training method for burning calories. An hour long workout can burn 1200 calories! Benifets of training with kettlebells include – Full body strength and conditioning;   improved posture; rapid fat loss; improved flexibility; stronger bones and joints; enhanced        performance in athletic and everyday movement. Blast that fat today! Beginners classes will     commence in The Harps GAA Club, Durrow on Tuesday September 6th at 8pm. Contact David on (087) 3833258 or tridentfitnessclub@yahoo.ie to book your place. Hurry as places fill quickly.

Durrow Saturday market is open every Saturday from 9am to 12.30pm in the Computer Centre beside the RC Church on the Kilkenny Rd. Potato’s and Fresh Veg are available, to book your favourites please ring Marie on (087) 7742506.

Visit www.laoisweather.com for up-to-the-minute information.

The next newsletter will be on sale on the weekend of September 9th and 10th. All adverts must be booked with Angela Drennan (087) 1928522 or Mary Walsh (086) 3055157. Advertisements cost €2 per issue of Durrow Parish Newsletter and must be paid for in advance.