Latest Laois News: Out and About in Durrow

Your news from Ballinakill, Cullohill, Durrow & Spink

THIRD LAOIS DURROW SCOUTS NEWS: This weekend the Cub section are heading off to Kilcully to take part in the National Cub challenge. They will compete against Cub groups from all over the Country in what will be a fantastic weekend of skills, games and friendship making.

The different sections will wind down at the end of June for a few well deserved few weeks off but will be back in action after that for another eventful year. The waiting list candidates will also be contacted around mid-July with all relevant infomation for the coming year. We are also starting a recruitment drive for September to have new leaders, so if you are over 18 and can give a helping hand with the group please contact gldurrow@gmail.com as soon as possible.

The waiting list is now closed and new members will be contacted in July or August regarding membership. The waiting list will reopen again in September.

THE FOLLY FESTIVAL 2022: The return of the Folly Festival to Cullohill Castle on Friday the 8th and Saturday the 9th of  July is being met with great excitement locally after an absence of two years. The line-up for this year’s event is the best yet and includes Wild Youth, Róisín O, Hermitage Green and Moncrieff as well as many other acts. The MC for both nights will be comedian Bernard O’Shea and with all his local knowledge, it’s going to be fun!

In addition to the music and comedy there will be a jam packed day of family entertainment on Saturday the 9th starting with a walk up Cullohill Mountain. Other events will include the very popular ‘Nancy’s Yard’ which will provide entertainment for children all of ages from 12pm to 4pm including face painting, bouncing castles, street entertainers, Little Angels Craft Tent,  hurling/soccer/Nerf target competitions, hang tough, etc… There will also be two very exciting new activities which will be announced over the coming weeks. Entry to Nancy’s Yard will be €5 per child and include all activities within the Castle  Courtyard.

But the entertainment doesn’t stop there either… there will be a Food and Craft Market on the Fairgreen from 11am until 2pm – ‘A Celebration of Irish Food’ which will include a cookery demo by Adrian Sheppard (Head Chef, Bowe’s Foodhall and Café) and a BBQ Steak Challenge;  Music on the Trad Stage; Dog Show, Art Exhibition, Pony Rides and much much more. As always, the proceeds from the festival will be used for community development projects with donations also being made to some local groups and clubs.

Tickets are available locally for €50 for a weekend ticket and €30 for a day ticket. Tickets are not required for the day time activities nor are they required for evening events for children Under 14 when accompanied by a ticket holding adult. (Max two children per adult). Tickets can also be purchased at https://thefolly.ie/tickets online.

THE YOUNG WOLFE TONES TO PLAY IN DURROW: On Saturday 6th August, Lennons Bar and Venue are running a night alongside Durrow Community Services CLG to help fundraise for the purchase of equipment and a new Ride On Mower. It will be a fantastic night as Derek Warfield and The Young Wolfe Tones will be   playing, tickets are available on www.ticketstop.ie now. Your support is greatly appreciated! Looking  forward to seeing you there! 

SCARECROW SUMMER CAMP 2022: Summer Camp Volunteers Needed! – It’s with great sadness that we must inform you that unless we can get volunteers to help with this years Scarecrow Summer Camp that it can not go ahead. The summer camp has been a huge part of the festival and a big fundraiser for us but it’s volunteer run and we don’t have the volunteer numbers. If you as a parent, student, resident or past parent whose child had been to summer camp in previous years and loved it, we need your help!  Can you volunteer your time for the festival, if yes, please phone Evelyn on (087) 9194428. A decision will need to be made within the next week on running this much loved Summer Camp.

DURROW TIDY TOWNS UPDATE: Thanks to Catherine from Dunnes Garden Centre for her advice on pollinator friendly planting for the boxes at the bridge in Durrow, thanks also to our youth volunteers for watering the fower boxes and in particular and as always, a huge thanks to Dunnes Garden Centre for supplying the pollinator friendly planting for this area – we have huge support and advice from Dunnes on our planting but in particular for our pollinator friendly planting and we couldn’t do it without you. The Rivers Erkina, Nore, Gully and Gowl are a huge asset to Durrow with the abundance of bio-diversity, flora, fauna, kayaking, walking, cycling, scouting and horse riding. There is something new everyday and the boxes at the Erkina amenity area with their pollinator friendly planting, certainly adds to our amenity areas. Community is as community does for sure and we are so grateful.

Appeal: The first round of the competition judging is underway with the second round in August. We don’t know what day the first round takes place but have been advised that it’s between 11th to 22nd June for Durrow. It would be much appreciated if everyone could assist in the five-minute sweep outside homes and businesses and to pick up  litter, the litter picking station is at the back of the CYMS and litter pickers and bags are there. We are also grateful to our Team Tidy Towns Volunteers, DDF and the CES who are assisting us with the jobs to be done but we have a huge amount still to do in the coming two weeks with planting, weeding, sweeping and tidying and if you can help in any way, please do – we can’t do it without your much valued assistance! Many thanks for your ongoing support.

DUNMORE COMMUNITY ALERT: The Annual General Meeting of Dunmore Community Alert will be held in Bob’s on Tuesday night June 28th 2022 at 8pm. Dunmore Community Alert has been very successful in preventing crime in our area. The work done by the CCTV cameras are a great help to the Gardaí in arresting and charging thieves with many crimes. The people of Dunmore Community Alert should come out in huge numbers to support the wonderful work done by the hard working committee and volunteers. 

ERKINA RIVER FESTIVAL 2022: Woodenbridge Stage – First Post Covid Festival! The festival will kick off at 1pm on Saturday 25th June at the Woodenbridge which promises to be a fun filled day and night with events that include: Family Cycle at 1pm; Raft building, Canoe Polo, Aqua Slide, Tight Rope Walking and Tug of War at 2.30pm; Laois Hunt Show at 2.30pm; Long Puck Competition from 3pm to 5pm; Sheep Dog Trials at 3.30pm; Sheep Shearing Demonstration at 4.30pm; Field Dog Trials at 5pm.

You will also be asked to guess the weight of a Kerry Hill Ram. Water Safety Ireland – Laois and The Nore Vision will also be present. A Heritage walk will get underway at 6pm which will incorporate a novel river crossing and some historical artefacts rarely seen. The evening will continue with a BBQ and some       refreshments the Woodenbridge Got Talent contest along with Music and Song from Johnie Keegan.

IRISH RURAL LINK: Invitation launch event – Midlands Bioenergy Development Project – 22nd June 2022: The Irish Bioenergy Association (IrBEA), who are co-ordinating and implementing the Midlands Bioenergy Development Project (MBDP), supported by the National Just Transition Fund for the Midlands region, will hold an on-site launch event for the project on Wednesday 22 June 2022 at the Tuar Ard Community and Enterprise Centre, Moate, Co Westmeath. The on-site only event will run from 11am to 1pm and will be book-ended by registration, tea, coffee and networking in the morning; and a light lunch and networking immediately afterwards.

The MBDP is ultimately focused on encouraging and mentoring new bioenergy sector start-ups as part of the Just Transition in the Midlands region. We would be delighted if you could join us on the day. The registration page can be found by entering ‘Launch event for Midlands Bioenergy Development Project’ in the search function on the www.eventbrite.ie website.

DURROW MEALS ON WHEELS: Durrow Meals on Wheels recently received the Community  Activity Fund Grant of €2,500 in May 2022. The grant awarded is being used for current utility bills and insurance. We got the grant from Laois County Council.

Durrow Meals On Wheels are also currently looking for volunteer drivers. Please contact (057) 8736870 for further information.

CULLOHILL COMMUNITY CENTRE – CARDS: A Progressive 25 cards game continues in The Cullohill Community Centre every Sunday night at 8.30pm sharp. The winners on 12th June last were: First – Terry Dunne and Vera Brennan; Second – Eddie Delaney and Joe McGill, also Liam Dunphy and Mary Teresa Delaney. All are most welcome every Sunday night.

-COMMUNITY ALERT: Be aware of calls from a person purporting to be from Amazon. The caller goes on to say there is a problem with their Amazon Prime account and in order to resolve personal information was required. A few members of the public called in to advise that they have been receiving calls from a 094 number purporting to be from Amazon looking for person to pay €80 on their account. 

Please be wary of scam callers regardless of who they say they represent. Some people are still falling for their stories and providing personal details otherwise they wouldn’t continue with their efforts.

About Identifying Whether an E-mail, Text Message or Phone Call is from Amazon: E-mails, text messages or calls from Amazon will never ask you for personal information. If you receive a suspicious (sometimes called phishing) e-mail, text message or call, here are some tips to determine if it’s from Amazon: If you receive a suspicious phone call, email, or text message claiming to be from Amazon,  asking for payment, personal information or offering a refund you do not expect, please do not share any personal information, and disconnect any phone call immediately. You can report suspicious spam in   Ireland, to your local Garda station. Please also note that Amazon will never ask for your personal information, or ask you to make a payment outside of our website (e.g. via bank transfer, emailing credit card details, etc…) If you received an e-mail regarding an order or Prime membership, or anything that you don’t recognise, please forward the e-mail to stop-spoofing@amazon.com and then delete it. Do not click on any links in such emails.

MAYNOOTH UNIVERSITY: Maynooth University are operating a national help desk for queries. This is serving as a single national point of contact for Ukrainian students and researchers who are seeking to continue their higher education studies in Ireland. The helpdesk, staffed by admissions and researcher advisers, has several functions including: assessing students English standards; assisting them with documentation; and offering individual help to identify potential courses or work options which students or researchers might be interested in. It will also seek to guide applicants to the Education and Training Boards adult education guidance services, where options such as further education or apprenticeship may be more appropriate. The National Student and Researcher Help Desk can be contacted by email at: NSRHelpdesk@mu.ie or by phone on +353(0)1 474 7788.

NEW ATM IN DURROW: St. Canice’s Credit Union wants to remind shoppers that an ATM is now available on the street at our Durrow Branch. Also people should be aware that we have a fully functioning current account with Debit Cards etc… so any Ulster Bank or KBC customers who have to move accounts can come into the branch or open an account online with us.

***

CHURCH NEWS: Parish Office: The Parish Office at the Presentation Centre beside the Church is open from 10am to 2pm on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays. The booking of Masses, Christenings of babies, sale of Mass Cards, Booking of  weddings and funeral arrangements will go through this office. All  matters relating to Church business in the Parish must also go through this office. You can also call the Parish Office on (085) 2625033.

Mass Times in Durrow: Sundays – 12 noon; Saturday Nights – 7.30pm. 

Mass Times in Cullohill:  Saturday Nights – 7pm. All are most welcome.

SYMPATHY is extended to the family and friends of Joan Dempsey, Swan Rd, Durrow, Laois County, on their recent bereavement.

ANNUAL CEMETERY MASS: The Cemetery Mass of 2022 will be held in Durrow on Sunday August 14th the at twelve noon. Please let your families know.

NUMBER FOR ST. VINCENT DE PAUL – LAST UPDATED JULY 2021: Our new contact phone number for confidential assistance is (087) 6974792.

***

LIONS AFC REPORT: U14 Cup Final – Lions 1  V 0 Bridge Utd. Scorer – John Coonan. A superb strike from John Coonan just before half time was enough to capture the U14 cup for the Lions. This was always going to be a close affair with both league games finishing level. This game however was a more open game and but for remarkable goalkeeping at both ends it could have finished 5 to 4. The Lions settled quickly and played some superb football as they moved the ball around the field. However a spirited Bridge were dangerous on the break and nearly scored except for a remarkable double save from Liam Townsend (superb at right back all season) but was drafted into the goal at the last minute. At the other end a superb cross from Ronan was volleyed by Eoin Delaney but somehow the Bridge Utd keeper saved. The game was now end to end and  a superb tackle by Tony kept the Bridge attack at bay. Conor, Eoin, and Ben all had chances before Joey’s cut back found John who found the top corner. 1 nil at the break. 

The second half was more even as Bridge pushed forward looking for an equaliser. Eoin, Joey and Ciaran were combining well, and after some clever play Eoin found himself one on one but again the Bridge keeper pulled off a superb save to deny him. Not to be outdone Liam Townsend pulled off a remarkable save to keep the score at one nil. As Bridge pushed forward superb defending from Rob, Tony, Ben, Ronan and Kieran saw out the game to give the Lions a well deserved win. Hard luck to Bridge Utd. who played a superb game. Congratulations to our lads who have shown great dedication and respect all   season. They are now Kilkenny U14 League and Cup Champions!

LIONS AFC: FAI Summer Soccer Schools Camp is now open for Bookings. The 2022 camp takes place at the Lions AFC grounds in Durrow from 4th July to 8th July. Book Early To Avoid Disappointment! Visit https://bookings.summersoccerschools.ie/s/ online to complete your booking.

THE HARPS CAMOGIE CLUB NEWS: The Harps Camogie Girls held a fundraiser event in Durrow on The Square in front of Murf’s Take-Away last weekend. The Big Cyclathon started at 11am on the Saturday morning (June 11th) and concluded twenty-four hours later at 11am on the Sunday morning (June 12th). The whole club and  committee would like to extend a massive thank you to all of the businesses who sponsored our cyclists for the cyclathon and a big thank you also to our sponsors who sponsored all the raffle prizes. And we would be grateful if you could shop local and support these businesses who so kindly donate and support our club. Over the weekend and after all the counting, we are so happy to say we have raised a massive €6,265. We would just like to say a big thank you to everyone who donated. This money will be put to great use helping to support and develop our teams from U6 all the way up to our adult teams. Finally, a big thank you goes to all our cyclists, without them this wouldn’t have been possible!

THE HARPS GAA CLUB NEWS: Split the Bucket: A standing order of €8 a month gives one entry a week, €16 a month gives two entries a week and €20 a month gives three entries a week. If you would like to set up a monthly standing order please contact Joe Deegan on (087) 9678729 or Shane Brophy on (087) 2034035. Thanks to everyone, who supports our weekly Split the Bucket draw.

Cul Camps 2022: This year’s Annual GAA Cul Camps will take place from July 11th to 15th and also from August 8th to 12th. Each player attending will recieve a free backpack and training gear. The camps are a great opportunity to learn and develop new skills and also meet your County Stars! For more information about the camps email mike.henchy.gamesmanager.laois@gaa.ie – you can also book your place at https://kellogsculcamps.gaa.ie online.

TRIDENT FITNESS CLUB – KETTLEBELL SPORTS AND FITNESS CLASSES: Learn to use kettlebells safely and effectively from one of Ireland’s top ranked and most experienced professional kettlebell sports and fitness instructors with over 10 years of experience in kettlebell sport and fitness. Included in the classes are bodyweight exercises as well as posture correction and strengthening techniques. Together with proper kettlebell instruction you can learn to prevent and remedy a wide range of joint and mobility issues and injuries. Class schedule: Tuesday 6.30pm; Thursday 6.30pm; Saturday 11am. Venue: Durrow Community Hall CYMS. Call David or email for further information. Also available for personal training. Tel: (087) 3833258 or email: tridentfitnessclub@yahoo.ie or borukettlebellclub@yahoo.com for more information.

DURROW-CULLOHILL ANGLERS: Membership Cards for the River Nore and its Tributaries and also Grantstown Lake are available from Durrow-Cullohill Parish Anglers through their agents: Lawlor’s Gala, Daybreak Durrow, Lawlor’s Flower Shop, Fran’s Fishing Shop Mountrath and Club Secretary David Walsh.

***

CULLOHILL PRIMARY SCHOOL: Scoil Tighearnach Naofa is now accepting enrolments for Junior Infants, September 2022. For information email scoiltnaofa@gmail.com or call us on (057) 8737281.

DURROW LIBRARY: Lego Free Play – Every Wednesday from 2pm to 4pm in the Library on Chapel St.

Opening Hours – Durrow Library Opening hours are Tuesdays from 11am to 7.30pm and Wednesdays from 10am to 5.30pm (closed for lunch from 1.30pm to 2pm). Phone: (057) 8736090 Email: durrowlibrary@laoiscoco.ie for further information.

DURROW COMMUNITY SERVICES: We currently have six vacancies on our Community Employment Scheme: Position: 3 x Environmental Workers based in Durrow; Position: 2 x Environmental Worker based in Ballacolla; Position: 1 x Groundskeeper Sports Field based in Durrow. No Experienced Required. Work 19.5 hours per week. Eligibility to participate on CE is generally linked to those who are 21 years or over and in receipt of a qualifying social welfare payment for one year or more or 18 years and over for certain disadvantaged groups. Your eligibility will have to be verified by the Department of Social Protection. Please contact Astrid Andersson on (057) 8736870 or andersson@durrowcs.com by email.

DURROW COMMUNITY SATURDAY MARKET: Durrow Community Market continues on Saturdays from 9am to 12 noon on the Kilkenny Road beside the Church.

LIVE LOCAL WEATHER: Visit www.laoisweather.com for live local weather data from Durrow.

LOST: A set glasses were lost on Friday night June 10th somewhere between Derrywood and Seandoire. Has anyone seen or picked up please? They’re navy Hugo Boss frames. If found email info@durrow.ie

BALLINAKILL SWIMMING POOL: Season Tickets are now Available – Season tickets now available to buy on our pool website: www.ballinakilloutdoorswimmingpool.com – You will receive a voucher code which must be used each time you book, so keep it at hand.

WANTED: Looking for a childminder for twelve month old baby in Durrow, Abbeyleix, Ballinakill or the surrounding area for four days a week during July and August. Please Text (087) 9486028 for more info.

LIVE LOCAL WEATHER: Visit www.laoisweather.com for live local weather data from Durrow.

WHIST DRIVE: The Killermogh Whist Drive is held in the Parochial Hall, Cork Road, Durrow at 8 pm. It will be held on the last Thursday of every month. Please come and enjoy a lovely friendly night.

DURROW FIRE AND RESCUE: Do you need a smoke alarm? Or do you know of someone who does, in the Durrow, Cullohill or Ballacolla area? Every home should have a minimum of two of the life saving   devices! Durrow Fire & Rescue will provide and install smoke alarms for anyone that needs them, and there is no charge for this service. Simply email info@durrow.ie if you are interested, or if you know of a friend or neighbour that needs to have the devices installed. Please leave a contact number too.

DURROW PARISH LOTTO RESULTS – Monday, May 30th 2022: There was no jackpot winner of €2,400. The numbers drawn were: 14, 17, 19 and 26. The cash prize winners were as follows… €50 –  Emma Curran (OLM); €30 – Anne O’Sullivan (OLM); €20 – Caroline Kelly (Fishing Club).

Tuesday, June 7th 2022: There was no jackpot winner of €2,600. The numbers drawn were: 03, 11, 14 and 25. The cash prize winners were as follows… €50 – Vera Fogaty; €30 – Oliver Lawlor; €20 – Tommy Thornton.

Monday, June 13th 2022: There was no jackpot winner of €2,800. The numbers drawn were: 05, 06, 19 and 22. The cash prize winners were as follows… €50 – Frances Gilmartin; €30 – Jimmy Kells; €20 – Ethel Lawlor.

The Next Jackpot will be €3,000 on Monday 20th June. Tickets are available from the following clubs: Scouts, Gun Club, Fishing Club and Our Lady’s Meadow or on sale in these supporting outlets: Castle Arms, Post Office, Gala, Daybreak, Decs, Bob’s, Fawltys. If you are not in, you can’t win…

NEXT NEWSLETTER: The next newsletter will be out on the weekend of July 2nd and 3rd 2022. All adverts must be booked with Angela Drennan (087) 1928522 or (057) 8736419. Advertisements cost €2 per issue of Durrow Parish Newsletter and must be paid for in advance. Clubs and Organisations are encouraged to email info@durrow.iewith their ongoing news and notices which will be printed in the upcoming newsletter and also be posted on the Durrow.ie website.