Out and About in South Laois

Durrow High Nelly Club are holding a dance in the Community Hall, Durrow on Saturday May 28th at 7.30 pm (after Mass). This is to recreate dances in Durrow in year’s gone bye – the real Ballroom of Romance. There will be the usual Mineral Bar and of course the Tea and Sandwiches available. It is important that the dress code of the fifties is strictly observed – the Gents in Suit, Shirt and Tie with a Cap; – the Ladies in the Fifties Dress style.

Admission is three shilling’s and six pence or in today’s value €5. Come on your bicycle or walk. There will be a great Raffle on the night with First prize: Two Boneens, Second prize: Tickets to Knock, Third Prize: Bag of Spuds, Fourth prize: Gents vanity case, Fifth prize: a Bottle of Mountain Dew. This is definitely a night not to miss as we all will relive our lost youth! There will be loads more surprises to be revealed but just be there for a night in a million.

Congratulations to our scouts who recently took part in the Slievebloom County Challenge. This was a camp where our scouts took part in line camping, unaided for the whole weekend. Their skills were challenged and marked in a stiff competition.  Our scouts did very well and the whole group should be proud of them! Well done also to Cobra Patrol on receiving bronze standard and Wolf Patrol on receiving silver standard. Next year we hope to qualify – onwards and upwards! Thank you to our quartermaster Leanne Fogarty who put in a great effort in preparing our equipment and Kate Campion for helping with training the scouts.

Congratulations to Roscrea Scout who came in first place, Tullamore Scouts for coming in second and Cloughjordan in third place. Our next event is the Scout Fest on the 24th June. Best of luck to any scouts taking part in the Junior Cert or Leaving Cert exams soon.

Congratulations to Lorna Campion who has recently taken a job for the next seven months working between Larch Hill campsite and Castlesaunderson. A great job to get, and while there she will also receive qualifications in Archery, Rock climbing to name a few. Well done.

The committee wish to thank everyone who supported the Church Gate collection last weekend which amounted to €485. This money will go towards the cost of flowers and hanging baskets which we provide to decorate the town over the summer months.

Appeal: We would like to see householders and business people decorating their premises with window boxes and hanging baskets also. We need to have our town looking its best for the Scarecrow Festival which attracts a large amount of visitors. It would be very much appreciated by the Tidy Towns committee for people to make that extra effort for ourselves and all the  people that will visit the town over the summer months. A neat and tidy town creates a feel good factor for everyone and it’s so rewarding when we hear all the positive comments about Durrow. Your  efforts are always very much appreciated.

The Mobile unit of the Blood Transfusion Service will be in Durrow at the Castle Arms hotel on Wednesday May 25th from 4.30pm to 8pm. There is a huge appeal for more blood donations as stocks are at a low level and we urge anyone who can donate to      attend this clinic and donate blood. Your donation can and will save lives. We especially appeal to young ladies and men over the age of eighteen years to come and give blood.

A Date for Your Diary: Cullohill Community Council are holding a big fundraiser on Saturday 4th June from 6pm to 8pm in the Millennium Garden, Cullohill. A ‘Big Family Picnic’ is planned with lots of fun to be had. Full details will be made available in the coming week. Looking forward to seeing you there!!!

The Harps GAA are holding their Annual Race Night in Lennons on Saturday 28th May from 9pm. Horses, €10 each are available currently from any adult Harps Player or committee member. Please come along on the night and support!

Readers: Saturday Evenings: May 21st – Catherine Walsh; May 28th and June 4th: Seosamh Murphy. Sunday Mornings: May 22nd – Fergal Hassett; May 29th and June 5th: Kevin Kelly.

Church Cleaning Rota – June 2016: Teresa Dunphy, Mary Lawlor, Margaret Donohue, Bridget Conroy.

Eucharist Ministers – June 2016: Saturdays – Mai Bowe and Pius Hennessy; Sundays – Padraig Walshe and Sheila Finnegan.

is extended to the Duggan families of Lakefield and Tubberboe and the Phelan family of Castle Street, Durrow on their recent bereavement.

Sympathy is extended to the Dunphy family, Rath, Durrow, on their recent bereavement.

The death has taken place in Melbourne, Australia of Mary Bracken – formally of Gurteen, Cullohill – daughter of the late William and Mary Bracken. Mary worked all her life as a teacher in the Brigidine College. A months’ mind Mass will be celebrated in St. Tighearneach’s Church, Cullohill on Saturday night June 4th at 8pm.

Fr. McGree will celebrate his Golden Jubilee in the priesthood on Sunday 12th June commencing with mass in Cullohill at 11am followed by lunch in Cullohill Community Centre.

Tickets for this celebration are €20 each and are available from members of the parish council – Jimmy Walsh, Billy McEvoy, Michael Killeen, Seamus Comerford, Ciara McEvoy and Margaret Murphy – or one of these members will call to you. All are welcome.

On behalf of the Kieran Monahan Memorial Fund; we would like to thank all who supported us on the night of April 8th – to Seosamh and the Staff of The Castle Arms Hotel; Robert Mizzell and his Band; Soundz Country and also to all the sponsors on the night: Aylward Haulage, Dunnes Garden    Centre, Manor Hotel Abbeyleix, Whartons Travel, Extreme Beauty, The Castle Arms Hotel, SuperValu  Ballyragget, Dolmen Hotel Carlow, O’Briens Brothers, Eats & Treats, The Book Centre, Quinns Computers, Tesco Portlaoise, Midlands Prison, Roll and Bowl, Stonehouse Beauty, Durrow Inn, Lennons Venue, Mrs Brown’s Boys, Ahearne Fuels, SuperValu Abbeyleix, Clelands, Radisson Hotel, Williams  Butchers, Heritage House, Fyffes Abbeyleix and Papa Nova.

To all the volunteers – Martin Lawlor, William Rumble, Eileen Keenan, Kay Kavanagh, Marie O’Rourke, Marie Fennelly, Ann Vaugh, Veronica Dunne, Daniel Dunne, Imelda Dunne, Pearl Kearney, Noel Delaney, Joe & Marie Brennan, Mary Campion, Sheila Kenna, Ryan, Suzie and Liz Monahan, Trudy Earl, Niamh Farrell and Siobhan Dwyer. Without you all we could not hold these fundraisers. Many Thanks! The final amount raised was €4,500 in aid of the Naomh Bhríd Autistic in Abbeyleix School. Well done!!!

The Woodenbridge Paddlers invite all complete beginners, novices and experienced canoeists to join us this summer on the Erkina River at the Woodenbridge to be part of the Nationwide Blueway 10k challenge. The Blueway 10k challenge is rolled out by Waterways Ireland and Canoeing Ireland and is aimed at getting participants of all abilities and none on the water to enjoy the countryside. Starting 28th May the programme runs for twelve weeks concluding on the 20th August when a National Blueway 10k event day will be held at which a presentation will be made to all          participants who completed the programme. The Woodenbridge Paddlers are the programme providers for County Laois and will hold two sessions weekly to accommodate participants who have previous     canoeing experience and complete first timers. To register visit www.canoedb.com/events/blueway or you also can phone (087) 2395357 or (085) 1009998.

The people who held the Church Gate collection for the Lourdes Fund wish to thank everyone who contributed, a total of €318 was collected.

In preparation for this years festival weekly scarecrow workshops have commenced and will continue every Wednesday evening from 7pm in Evelyn Clancy’s house at Barnhill, Durrow.

Please do come and join us, we would be more than happy to have you come on board for the 2016 Durrow Scarecrow Festival! For more information  contact Evelyn on (087) 9194428.

The Community Centre in Durrow is available for    bookings to hold parties or any sports activities etc… Contact: Mary Walsh (086) 3055157.

The Presentation Centre in Durrow is also available for bookings to hold meetings or similar  activities etc… Contact: Angela Drennan (087) 1928522.