12 year old Pat O’Brien from Corrin, Fermoy penned a letter for The Avondhu, concerning the environment and the violence taking place in the world. He included a poem, entitled ‘Ah! Wake Please God’, as follows: ‘Oh lord protect the land and sky, So my children’s children can enjoy, A happy world where none will cry, God help us please, To preserve your creatures, From birds to bees, So that we may see the trees, Fluttering and dancing in the breeze, Help us keep each river and lake, Give mankind a gentle ‘shake’, Open our eyes keep us awake, To a world which does not hate, Help us God, ‘Fore it’s too late.’

Two key local officers of the Irish National Committee of the International Dairy Federation, were involved in organising an international 3-day seminar on cheese yield, to be held in the SilverSprings Hotel, Cork. Dr Phil Kelly, Doneraile, working for the National Dairy Products Research Centre in Moorepark and chairman, Tom Whelton of Dairygold, Mitchelstown, confirmed to The Avondhu that Minister for Food and Horticulture, Brian O’Shea, would perform the official opening of an event which was set to bring participants from as far afield as New Zealand, North America, Scandinavia and elsewhere. The overall objective was to ‘focus on yield improvement and ultimately the profitability of cheese manufacture’.

At a private auction, conducted by Brendan O’Meara, Fermoy, a 67 acre residential farm at Gorteeshal, Ballyporeen, located in a disadvantaged area, realised a strong price of almost £100,000. The farm was sold in four different divisions, with one division afterwards being divided, which resulted in five new owners of the overall holding. Mr O’Meara said that “after a bad three months of the year due to the financial climate and uncertainty, there was now good buoyancy in the market”, and within the previous 2 weeks he had sold 4 bungalows on his books.

According to a 1993 Ballyduff Macra report, two of its members were set to feature in the ‘Bachelor of the Year’ competition, to be staged in Cappoquin. It was anticipated that Pat “the duck” Roche and Martin “the catman” Kenny would “saunter up to the start acting cool, looking smooth and slagging each other, but before the off both will have loosened their ties and told a lot of lies”. The “underhand member” who had “hijacked the (club) notes” from new PRO Martin, said the lads would “be sipping shandy, watching the contestants in the Miss Blue Jeans Competition”. Who was the “underhand” PRO?

Fermoy Choral Society were finalising preparations for the 1993 staging of ‘The King And I’, with direction by Valerie O’Leary from the Montfort School in Cork. With musical direction under the baton of Tom Barry (St Colman’s College), Deirdre Foley was accompanist for the show. With a ‘young and enthusiastic’ cast, Kevin Lynch was playing the part of the King; ‘Anna’ was played by Deirdre Whyte, with Cork tenor, Liam O’Toole as ‘Lun Tha’. Some other cast members included Aileen Ryan, Mary Comber, Brendan Dunlea, Michael Ahern (Glanworth), Michael Dunne (Kilworth), Brian O’Callaghan (Mitchelstown).

In what was reported as a relatively crime free Easter holiday weekend in 1993, Rathcormac was hit by something of a crime spree. A 8hp Honda generator, valued at £900, was stolen from a chip van in the vicinity of The Rathcormac Inn. On the Saturday night/Sunday morning, a green Ford Fiesta car was stolen from the Main Street, while several cars were also broken into, with a handbag, jacket and pass cards reported stolen.

Fermoy U21 footballers ‘fell at the first fence’ in their championship encounter with rivals Mitchelstown. Played in Kilworth, it was reported that there was never more than 3 points between the teams. With the ‘Town lads deserving winners according to the Fermoy GAA Club report, things could have been different if Fermoy “had taken at least one of the three gilt-edged opportunities in the second half”. Mitchelstown led 1-5 to 1-2 at half-time, the Fermoy goal coming from Ivan O’Callaghan. ‘Town ran out winners on a final scoreline of 2-7 to 1-7. Fermoy team: Tony Twomey, John Fant, Dec Ennis, Noel O’Connor, Diarmuid O’Callaghan, Niall O’Donnell, Willie Corcoran, Dec Higgins, Ian O’Callaghan, Ivan O’Callaghan, Bill McCarthy, Dave Grumbridge, Trevor Slattery, Tomas O’Flynn, John Dennigan. Subs used: Pat O’Connor, Barry O’Driscoll.

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