Despite millions of pounds being ploughed into improvement works on the N8 Cork to Dublin Road, between Watergrasshill and Kilbehenny, the possibility of a new motorway for the area was in the offing. As confirmed to The Avondhu by senior executive engineer at the time, Bob Farrell, this would result from the fact that ‘bypass routes for Fermoy and Rathcormac may come so close together that a whole new road could be created’. The bypass planned for Rathcormac was anticipated to start somewhere south of Dr Barry’s Bridge…. calculated to rejoin the N8 around Mondaniel and as the Fermoy bypass cuts in south at Corrin’ there was ‘very little in the difference’, with the possibility that these roads could be ‘linked up as one new road’. As we have today!

It was drama all the way in Macra circles, as the Avondhu Regional Drama finals were staged in Fermoy Community Youth Centre. 7 clubs from the region trod the boards in search of glory, however in the final shake-up Glanworth emerged winners in the senior section, with Geraldine Aaron’s ‘The Galway Girl’ - John Bermingham won the Best Producer award and Tomas McGrath won Best Actor. Mitchelstown were placed 2nd, with Lynda Marshall’s ‘With All My Love I Hate You’, produced by Pat Landers, Amelia Coughlan won Best Supporting Actress. While Fermoy’s Patricia Coughlan won Best Actress in the senior section as Jude in ‘Spring’, with Kevin O’Farrell, Kildorrery receiving the Best Supporting Actor award. Fermoy were victorious in the novice section, for their portrayal of ‘The Joker Plays Trumps’. The adjudicator’s award went to Mitchelstown senior group for their playing of ‘With All My Love I Hate You’.

Young Gerard Buckley from Kildinan, a Leaving Cert student at St Colman’s College, Fermoy, had the honour of picking up two major awards at the Aer Lingus Young Scientists Exhibition in January 1994. Five months of dedicated work on his project ‘Listeria Hysteria’, saw him awarded first prize in the senior biological/ecological category, as well as receiving the Teagasc award for the best food and agriculture award.

Such was the situation with potholes on the Limerick Road out of Mitchelstown, that The Avondhu carried a photograph of a duck swimming in a large pothole! An amusing photograph, however not such an amusing situation for motorists who were confronted with this pothole in the course of their journey. However, residents in the Galbally and Ballylanders area were ‘happy’ with remedial works carried out by Tipperary County Council. Subsidence works on the roads from Galbally to Kilross and Galbally to Ballylanders was undertaken.

The public were reminded to keep their dogs under control, following a sheep attack at Glenacunna, Ballyporeen, which resulted in farmer James Sheehan losing 3 of his flock. James remained upbeat however and considered himself lucky, as ‘the sheep were not in lamb’ and the field beside where the attack occurred contained 20 ewes which were lambing.

18 beautiful contestants were ready to compete for ‘Mitchelstown’s glamour event’ - with the holding of the Mitchelstown Rose Competition in The Firgrove Hotel. Martina Condon, representing Galtee Deer Care, was the reigning rose, as legendary commentator Micheal O Mhuircheartaigh was set to pose the questions to the ladies at a special function. Some contestants from 1994 included Jennifer Coughlan (Coughlan’s Bar), Sharon Smith (O’Callaghan’s Deli), Marian Burke (An Bodhran), Sharon McLaughlin (The Torten), Susan Lynch (The Corner House), Linda O’Neill (Miko’s Bar) and Colette Mulcahy (Horgan’s Deli Supplies).

In brief – Fermoy Soccer Club were waiting with bated breath ahead of the drawing of their opponents in the 1993/94 FAI Senior Cup, they were hoping for a plum draw at home against one of the top League of Ireland sides. Lismore’s Patricia Cahill, a student at Lismore Presentation Convent Secondary School, set a new triple jump Munster record of 10.73 metres at the BLOE championships, held in Tipperary Town. Well know TV personality and wildlife artist, Don Conroy from ‘The Den’, paid a visit to Fermoy, where he met with pupils from both Bishop Murphy NS and Presentation Convent.

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