Out and About in South Laois

Please be advised that for any entries that will be large format, you will need to contact any of the following as soon as possible so that your creation can be placed in the planning for the festival. This would relate to any larger scarecrows or scarecrows in excess of 8, you must contact us as soon as possible. Your entry will be kept confidential but we will need to know for planning purposes. Please phone Evelyn on (087) 9194428, Mary on (086) 3055157 or Emer on (087) 9626350.

The Durrow Scarecrow Festival Bring and Buy sale is run each year within the Durrow Scarecrow Village from 2pm until 7pm on each weekday of the festival. The bookings spots are limited and should you wish to book a spot at the event you should contact Emer on (087) 9626350 for details. A deposit is required for each booking.

As part of the Durrow Scarecrow   Festival will be held at Durrow Community Centre from Sunday 24th July to Monday 1st August inclusive. Items will be displayed throughout the venue including Knitwear, pottery, art works including oils and acrylics. Local photographer Andrew Walsh will exhibit local landscapes and wildlife. Opening times: 11am to 6pm daily. Anyone wishing to exhibit contact (087) 2200199.

The committee wish to thank the members of Durrow Development Forum who came out on Work Nights over the last few weeks weeding and cleaning and also to thank Catherine Geoghegan, Mary and Martin Lawlor for their great work preparing beds and pots and planting flowers. It is very much appreciated. Work Nights continue every Tuesday night (meeting at Tae Lane on Tuesday next at 7.30pm). If you are interested in getting involved please do come along and bring a shovel, brush, gloves, hoe etc… and even a friend or two. It only takes an hour a week to keep our beautiful village clean and tidy.

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

Put July 2nd in your calendar for the arrival of the Irish Garth Brooks Experience band to Lennons Venue, Durrow. The band are a superb 7 piece band and are the best in the business! Other support acts are soon to be announced. Tickets €15 are on sale with all proceeds in aid of The Harps GAA Club. Tickets are on Sale from: Lennons Bar, Durrow – (087) 8438464; The Harps GAA Club – (087) 2797214; Tommy Kennas Butcher, Durrow; Topaz, Cullohill; SuperValu, Abbeyleix; Centra, Urlingford; SuperValu, Ballyragget; SuperValu, Rathdowney. Doors open at 7pm in the night with the band due on stage from 9pm. All tickets purchased will get a free BBQ burger on the night. A raffle on the night will also take place with fantastic prizes. We hope to see you there!

have vacancies for general operatives on the Community  Employment Scheme. Anyone interested in applying should contact Paddy on (057) 8736870.

Readers: Saturday Evenings: June 25th and July 2nd: Martin Lawlor; July 9th and 16th: Ann-Marie Lalor. Sunday Mornings: June 26th and July 3rd: Bea Alley; July 10th and 17th: Stephanie Phelan.

Church Cleaning – July: Mary Kennedy, Mary Walsh, Gabriel Daz, Miriam & Pat Connolly.

Sympathy is extended to the Drennan family, Erkindale Drive and the Brophy family, Carrigan Street, Durrow, on the death of their Aunt Aida in Luton, England recently.

Senior Competition for the Joe Brophy Memorial Cup, Juvenile Competition for the Durrow Development Forum Trophy. Juvenile age is up to 16 years old. Print size for both competitions: From Standard size up to maximum 12″X10″ prints can be mounted but not necessary. Limit of photographs per ENTRY: 3. All entries to be presented in an envelope with name of entrant, address and      telephone number written on envelope. Entry dates: Monday 25th and Tuesday 26th July from 3.00pm to 6.00pm both days at Durrow Community Centre. Entry fees: Senior €5, Juvenile €3. The winning prints will be announced and prizes presented at 4.00pm on Sunday 31st July. For further information contact Andrew Walsh at (086) 3791904.

Cullohill ICA held their June meeting in the Community Centre on Tuesday June 7th. Votes of sympathy were passed with the family of Kitty Delaney and the family of John Moore, May they Rest In Peace. Congratulations to Rev. Fr. McGree on his golden Jubilee and we wish him good health and happiness for many years ahead. The bus to Knock Shrine is on Tuesday July 12th, contact any member of the committee for more information. Members of the guild will be in An Grianan next week for Laois week.

Six members will go on the Federation trip to Galway and Clare From June 28th to July 1st. Three or four members will also attend the Federation meeting in Clough on June 22nd. All Leaving and Junior Certificate students are wished well in their exams. Mary Kelly, Nancy Phelan and Mary Walsh won the raffle. The next ICA meeting will be held on July 5th at 8pm in Cullohill Community Centre.

Saturday 18th June at 8pm will see the launch of Ras an Asal, The Midlands Donkey Derby in Ballacolla village by champion flat jockey Chris Hayes who recently rode the 2,000 guineas  winner Awtaad at the Curragh. The event itself will be held on Sunday 31st July at Talbots Hill Ballacolla.

A big thank you to everyone who attended and donated blood at the recent clinic held in Durrow. A total of 117 attended including ten new donors and seven lapsed donors. The following received awards: Silver Award (10 donations) – Seamus Hayes, Ballacolla, and Pat Fitzpatrick, Timahoe; Gold Award (20 donations) – Lorna Dunne, Cullohill.

As part of National Bike Week the Woodenbridge Paddlers will stage a 15K Family Fun Cycle on Sunday 19th June. Starting from Supermacs, Manor Stone, Junction 3 – Ballacolla at 11am the spin will bring you through the villages of Ballacolla and Durrow    before returning back to the Supermacs/Topaz at M8 Junction 3 where refreshments will be served. All are welcome to come along.

Visit www.laoisweather.com for up-to-the-minute weather data from Durrow.

There was no jackpot winner of €6,950.

Numbers: 03 04 18 26

The small draw winners were:

€30: Tom Lawlor, Abbeyleix, County Laois.

€25: Lorraine Lawlor, Mill Rd, Durrow, Co Laois.

€20: Seamus Stapleton, Erkindale, Durrow, Laois.

Monday 13th June 2016:

There was no jackpot winner of €7,100.

Numbers: 08 12 17 26

The small draw winners were:

€30: Mary Campion, Rathmakelly, Ballacolla.

€25: Gary O’Sullivan, c/o Dec’s Bar, Durrow.

€20: The Hopper, c/o An Post, Abbeyleix, Laois.

If you are interested in helping out at the Durrow Scarecrow Summer Camp which runs from Monday 25th July until Friday 29th July during the mornings, please contact Evelyn on (087) 9194428 as soon as possible!

With €5,000 prize money up for grabs on Sunday 3rd July in the Mountrath Marquee Festival which will be held at the GAA Grounds in Mountrath from 3pm, great craic is assured. Double books €15, Single book €10 and Single sheets €2. All welcome.

We are always on the lookout for new scouters. Maybe you were a leader previously and after your kids grew out of scouts, you left, by choice or not, maybe you would like to join us again and share your skills with new kids and new leaders alike. Or maybe you know someone that would enjoy being outdoors and join the big scout family. And even if you never did scouting but enjoy walking and challenging yourself, you should give us a shout and come and meet one of our sections. For more information about our group, please contact Delphine Lawlor on (086) 3655178.

Get-out-Get Active Summer Camp is on from July 11th to July 15th daily from 9.30am to 3.00pm. Open to children from age 4 years to 12 years old – all are welcome. For more details contact Sinead Curran (087) 2943889 or sineadcurran@msn.com or at Our Lady’s Meadow School, Durrow.