Ballindangan Community Council will celebrate a very special occasion this month – the 50th anniversary of the opening of its community centre. To mark this milestone of 50 years, the Hall in Ballindangan will host a special weekend on Friday 13th and Saturday, 14th October.
Make sure to bring your phone or camera when visiting the Hall over the weekend as the organising committee have been working very hard over the past few months, gathering photos, documenting stories and memories of the Hall throughout the years. Over a thousand images and articles have been gathered as part of this project and all will be showcased throughout the weekend. A special thank you to The Avondhu for their support with this process.
The Hall will be open Friday through to Sunday during the day from 12 noon to give the opportunity to everyone to view and enjoy this special collection. The pupils of Ballindangan National School are also currently working with Cork ETB to produce a large piece of art which will commemorate the special occasion.
Proceedings will commence at 7pm on Friday 13th with Mass celebrated in the Hall, which will be followed by a ‘Reeling In The Years’ series of interviews. The Ballindangan Players will then present a comedy sketch.
There will be plenty of time afterwards for browsing memorabilia and chatting with neighbours and friends. There is no entry charge for Friday night and light refreshments will be served. The weekend will continue on Saturday 14th at 8pm with live music in the Hall by Jimmy O’Donoghue and friends, with a €10 entry charge at the door. The draw will take place on Saturday night for the raffle which is a fundraiser for the upkeep of the Hall. Tickets are now on sale costing €5 and raffle prizes include a €250 voucher for the Woodlands Hotel Adare, €150 voucher for Vienna Woods and €100 voucher for The Townhouse Cafe Doneraile, plus numerous other spot prizes. To purchase raffle tickets prior to the event please contact Eamon 086-1900891, Trevor 087-1729391, Grace 087-2738903 or any committee member.
By 1970, community spirit was thriving in Ballindangan as witnessed by the many active organisations in the parish. Yet the supporting infrastructure was weak with only the school providing a meeting place and focal point. This was immediately evident to the newly appointed curate in January of that year – Fr Con O’Donovan who was a straight-talking man of action and within months he had organised a Hall committee whose mission was to deliver a community centre for Ballindangan.
A site was identified and donated and before year’s end planning permission was applied for. As soon as this was granted, a flurry of fund-raising events was put in motion, construction begun and an ethos of self-help developed, culminating in enthusiastic parish-wide support for the project.
Ballindangan Community Centre has played an integral role in facilitating group activities down through the years. Activities such as cards, ICA meetings, socials, plays and in recent years the home of the Monday Morning Club, Parent and Toddler Group, The Ballindangan Players, Tai Chai, Yoga classes, art workshops and various dance classes.
This weekend is open to everyone living in the locality, especially to any new families who have moved into the area. It is great opportunity to get to know your local community. For anyone who maybe once lived in the area and now lives further afield – please come along and take a trip down memory lane.
