Sinead McCluskey was crowned Cork Rose in May 1995, thus setting her sights on the famous Rose of Tralee Festival in 1995. A post graduate of Food Science at Moorepark Research Centre, Sinead qualified for the Cork Rose selection contest as winner of the Kildorrery Rose of the Hill festival in 1994. Sinead saw off the challenge of 14 other hopefuls at Jury’s Hotel, Cork. Admitting to always wanting to claim the ultimate title of Rose of Tralee, she largely put her dream down to her mother Mary coming from Kerry. With a hectic schedule now ahead, her focus however was firmly on work, telling The Avondhu ‘work comes first, I don’t intend to change that’.
Gardai in Fermoy seized a ‘significant quantity’ of ecstasy tablets, having stopped a car at a routine checkpoint in Pearse Square. The gardai on duty became suspicious of the two male occupants, both with Cork City addresses, and detained them at the local barracks. A follow-up search of their vehicle, a Toyota Corolla, was undertaken with the assistance of drug squad officers from Cork. The drugs, in the region of 1,500 tablets with an estimated street value in excess of £30,000, were found ‘strapped inside the engine compartment’. A file was being prepared for the Director of Public Prosecutions.
Galbally’s first tourist office was close to opening, with the old library building near the church being refurbished for use. Local lady Monica McCormack was set to take up the appointment. The village was also preparing for the visit of President Mary Robinson in June 1995, where she would unveil a plaque to commemorate Galbally’s annexing of the Bord Failte National Tidy Towns award in 1994.
The 13th Infantry Battalion FCA were crowned All-Ireland Defence Forces FCA Orienteering champions (intermediate M21 B grade), the event taking place at Drumleigh, Galbally. The team, coached by Sgt John O’Connor, included Pte Gerald Harold, Capt Declan Roche, Pte Mark Prendergast, Pte Paul Casey, Cpl Steve Donnellan, Comdt Dave Prendergast, Comdt Joe Norris and CQMS Tom O’Hara.
Peter Falvey, an employee at Farrell Motors, Fermoy was announced overall winner of the NISTEC (Nissan International Service Technical Contest) – a prestigious worldwide competition to find the most technically skilled and efficient technician throughout Nissan dealerships worldwide. He would travel to the European NISTEC finals at the end of May 1995, representing Nissan Ireland.
Locals in Lismore were coming to terms with ‘an act of sacrilege’ in the town, with the grotto located at Bank Place the target of ‘a most disgraceful act’. Damage included floodlights being smashed, flowers uprooted, as well as the statue of the Blessed Virgin being smeared with mud. It also appeared that the perpetrators ‘threw stones at the statue’. A local passer-by told The Avondhu that the voluntary group who put in many hours of hard work to build the grotto, would be very distressed at seeing ‘some of their work undone in such a disgraceful manner’. Gardai were investigating.
The final weekend of May 1995 saw the 2nd hosting of the Fermoy Salmon Festival, with an extensive programme of activities lined up to keep the public entertained. Beside the obvious fly casting and fishing demonstrations and competitions, a 3-page feature in The Avondhu highlighted what was a jam-packed listing, including a town treasure trail, busking competition, an ‘exciting pub scene’ for the weekend, céile mór, 5 mile road race, ‘The Longest Bowl’ at Clondulane, as well as the Sunday Country Fair, being opened by MEP Brian Crowley.
Suffering their first defeat in eight games, Mitchelstown Celtic were unlucky when going down 2-1 to local AWL second division side, Ballylanders. With both sides ‘at times being over competitive in their tackling’, some delightful football was played. However defences were on top in the opening 45 minutes, with the game scoreless at the break. ‘A cruel blow’ for Celtic in the 62nd minute, when an attempted clearance by centre half James McNamara was headed into his own net. 10 minutes from time, Celtic were on level terms when McNamara was ‘villian turned hero’, equalising. Right on full time the County Limerick side stole the match thanks to ‘a hopeful shot’. Celtic team: E Murphy, M Darcy, T Murphy, J McNamara, A O’Grady, T O’Donoghue, T Graham, K Burke, K Walsh, P Fanning, S Kilmartin. Sub used: B Pigott.
