The Firgrove Hotel was the venue for the hosting of the 5th annual Mitchelstown Sports Stars Awards, where 17 people were honoured. Organised by Mitchelstown Skittles Club, guest of honour was Cork camogie star, Linda Mellerick, who had captained her side to All-Ireland glory in 1993. The Community Award went to Mary Dunleavy, in recognition of her work with the Alzheimer Society, while Jack McGrath was recipient of the Hall of Fame award. Other award winners were: Georgie Donegan (Best Administrator), Anthony O’Brien (Football), Diarmuid Lynch (Hurling), Siobhan O’Donovan (Camogie), Gerard Sherlock (Handball), Pat O’Donovan (Badminton), Catherine Kavanagh (Golf), Eamonn Maher (Dairygold football); Michael Gallagher (Soccer – Kingston Rgrs), Michael O’Brien (Pitch & Putt), Nellie Fitzgerald (Skittles), Willie Kenneally (Dairygold hurling), Stephen Byrne (Tennis), Sean Dennehy (Angling) and Cliona O’Donoghue (Racquetball).

There was a mink alert in the Kildorrery area, with anglers and environmentalists worried about an ‘explosion’ in population. It was claimed they had taken over the river Funcheon and its tributaries and were ‘causing severe damage to trout and salmon stocks’. Several locals The Avondhu spoke to on the matter, felt ‘the Government should introduce a bounty on the creature’.

The Minister for Transport, Energy and Communications, Brian Cowen TD, declared his ‘no go’ stance on the community TV issue. A hot topic locally, with South Coast Community TV campaigning for the Government to grant them legalised status, the minister was responding to questioning by Fine Gael TD, Charles Flanagan, who stated that ‘there was a high level of dissatisfaction in counties Laois and Offaly towards the MMDS system’. However Minister Cowen stated “to make it as clear as I can, the MMDs system is here to stay and that no other re-transmission system can, or will, be licensed”. Deputy Paul Bradford expressed his disappointment on the matter and said ‘the least the minister could do would be to meet with the community TV groups’.

A garda sergeant, stationed in Ennis, but formerly from Inchacoumbe, Anglesboro and Thomas Street, Mitchelstown, was presented with a certificate of bravery award by Clare County Council. It followed an incident in November 1991, where Sgt Joe O’Brien was one of three men who waded into the River Fergus, helping form a human chain, to pull a drowning youth to safety.

Meanwhile, a student at Nagle Rice Secondary School in Doneraile won a prestigious award, for an essay he’d written on the topic of emigrants experiencing problems on the streets of London. The Youth In Need organisation presented sixth year student, Conor Hannon from Ballyclough, with a Humanitarian Award.

There was much mourning in Fermoy town, following the death of ‘Sailor’, the legendary dog! Billy Bane of Liam MacGearailt Place, got the black sheepdog for his daughter, Carol and from his first day with them, he was a ‘friendly wanderer’ who got to know residents of the town. According to Carol, people in the town called him ‘The Legend’ - he would just wander off on his own, even ‘going into Willie Roche’s Butchers on Newmarket Street every day for a bone’! However, he always managed to return home. She recalled when Sailor would accompany the late Dave Fleming to Mass, sitting down by his seat in the church, something which happened for about 10 years. While he was everyone’s best friend, he had his quirks, and liked nothing more than a daily bag or two of cheese and onion Tayto crisps – a true 'legend' indeed!

Glenville had been selected as one of two Irish sites for a major biomass experiment. Funded as part of the European Commission (EC) Agro-Irish Research Programme, the miscanthus plant would be grown on a 0.1 ha site, visited weekly by researchers to measure growth and record the development of the plants. A computer controlled meteorological station had also been built to record weather conditions during the growing period.

Two Avondhu features published in October 28th, 1993: Kilworth junior hurlers were set to cross camans with Blarney in the county final at Pairc Ui Chaoimh, having defeated Glen Rovers in the semi-final. While there was a boost for Fermoy town with the opening of Dan Seaman Motors at Dublin Road (the former O’Leary’s Yard site), resulting in the creation of 17 new jobs - general manager of operations was Paddy O’Connor.

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