Warrents were issues for the arrests of three men believed to be involved in the theft of a car in Cork, which was later recovered crashed near Fermoy. Gardai had received information that a car, with four male occupants, was seen acting suspiciously in the area – on spotting the vehicle, a high speed car chase through the town followed, with the stolen car found crashed at Carrignabrick, near St Patrick’s Hospital, which the occupants had fled from. A search ensued, with two officers in an unmarked Garda car apprehending three of the four men. Detaining the individuals overnight in the local barracks, the men (from Dublin) were released on bail for appearance in Fermoy courthouse, where they failed to turn up. The warrant was then issued for their arrest.
Some top acts were confirmed for the 1996 Mitchelstown Music Festival. The Sawdoctors, who had just entered the UK Charts with their latest hit ‘To Win Just Once’, would headline on the Sunday of the August bank holiday, followed by Picture House, who had been selected to take the stage with Bon Jovi at the RDS in July 1996. To attract the younger fans, Over The Top (OTT) would headline on the Monday. The boost to the local economy from the festival was estimated at £500,000.
The replayed Munster hurling championship final in 1996, featuring Tipperary and Limerick at Pairc Ui Chaoimh, was set to provide a traffic headache for residents in Fermoy and surrounding area, with Gardai announcing special measures to deal with the huge volume of traffic expected to pass through the town – no motorway then remember. Traffic cones would be placed on the hard shoulder, running from Cavanagh’s Garage on the edge of town, as far as the turn off for the golf club at Corrin, ‘in an effort to prevent double lanes of traffic evolving on the journey back from Cork’ in the late afternoon and to ensure there would be no undertaking on the inside lane.
Country & Western star Paddy O’Brien was set to officially open the renovated premises of Hickey’s Supermarket, located at The Square, Tallow. Proprietor Paul Hickey, originally from Curraglass, told The Avondhu that the reaction from customers to the new-look store ‘surpassed even his wildest expectations’, with a 2-page Avondhu feature highlighting the modern, stylish premises. Along with his wife Dympna, hailing from Glanworth, staff members included Patricia Burke, Denis Martin and Colette Donnelly.
Locals in the Clogheen area were taken by surprise in July 1996, with ESAT Digifone reapplying for planning permission for the erection of a telecommunications mast in the area. This followed the company’s withdrawal of a previous application at the end of May 1996 for a 30 metre transmission mast at Mount Anglesby, with the specially formed Clogheen Action Group largely credited for the company’s change of mind. The new application was at Killeaton, described as being half-way between Clogheen and Ballyporeen – it was unclear whether the disbanded community group would reorganise themselves to oppose the new application.
Lismore Town Commissioners received only its second Labour Party chairman in 50 years, when pharmacist Bernard Leddy was elected first citizen of the town at the body’s AGM in July 1996. He succeeded Peter Dowd. The first Labour chairman was Tim Duggan, who was in office during World War II. Mr Leddy was optimistic of a bright future for the party in the Lismore area, with hopes that a Labour candidate could be elected to Waterford County Council ‘at the next election’.
Fermoy Council were laying the foundations for new car parking facilities at Fitz’s Slip, located adjacent to Brian Boru Square on the northern bank of the River Blackwater. The six inch thick surface required 20 loads of concrete and would cater for 15-18 extra spaces when complete, to help alleviate the chronic shortage of parking facilities in the town.
Ballyduff ladies footballers secured the Waterford junior B league title, overcoming a strong and experienced Dunhill/Fenor side, which included a number of county players. Captained by Catherine Quirke, the team forged their way to an interval lead of 1-6 to 1-1, wind assisted. All square with 8 minutes to go, some great saves from Julie Scanlon and 2 points from Catherine Quirke, saw the West Waterford side victorious, 1-8 to 2-3.
