St Colman’s College, Fermoy secured the Harty Cup title in March 1996, recording an emphatic 3-19 to 1-4 victory over Nenagh CBS in Clonmel. Leading 1-8 to 1-1 at half-time, Elton Pierce goaling, further second half green flags courtesy of John McCarthy and Pierce again, sealed an emphatic victory.
Friends of James ‘The Balty’ Ahern, Killavullen, came together to organise a fundraising drive to secure affordable car insurance for the MS sufferer. Banding together, thoughtful friends in Ballyhooly set about organising a raffle – top prize a weekend away for two to any Ryan Hotel – where over £500 was raised. ‘The Balty’ was also known ‘to belt out the odd tune or two on the harmonica’ and his friends also purchased a new Hohner harmonica, with the presentation being held in The Castle Tavern, Ballyhooly.
Cavanagh’s Garage, located on Ashe Quay, Fermoy was up for sale, in advance of a move to a new premises on Cork Road, being constructed adjoining their car sales premises. The Ashe Quay site, which backed onto Forge Lane, consisted of 12,000sq.ft. on the ground floor and an additional 5,500sq.ft. on split level floors.
It was confirmed that an exclusive development of five townhouses was set to be built on the site of the former Star Cinema at Church Street, Mitchelstown. Selling agent Tom Hyland, of Tom Hyland & Co Auctioneers, confirmed the signing of contracts with Gerry Condon of Glenroe Construction.
Young Daniel Callinan, a pupil at Ballygown National School, was announced as winner of a nationwide competition run by An Post. Using great imagination to write about a dream he experienced, featuring characters from Irish legend (Children of Lir, etc), Daniel topped the U10 category and made his way to the GPO, Dublin for the prize presentation in the company of his parents Rosemary and Jim, school principal Nora Moroney and teacher Alice O’Neill. His prize? A framed certificate, as well as an An Post gift pack and a ‘laptop pre-computer power pad’.
Members of Fermoy Urban District Council voted at their monthly meeting in March 1996 in favour of ‘no more than five motions per councillor be permissible on the agenda for any one council meeting’. In proposing the motion, Cllr Michael Hanley felt ‘that an undue amount of motions would mean the Council would be prevented from carrying out its many duties if time was being spent on issues that were not of great importance’. Councillor John Hussey, who had ‘exactly one hundred motions for the March meeting’, said he felt a maximum of five was an unreasonable restriction. The motion was eventually put to a vote, being passed by a margin of 5-3, with one abstention.
St Patrick’s Day parade round-up: In Fermoy, 81 year old grand marshal Matt Feerick proudly led the parade in his own hand-crafted waistcoat specially made for the occasion, described as ‘Irish green tweed with a darker shade of green velvet for the lapels’. Overall winners, Telecom, were awarded the Martin Joyce Memorial Trophy by Bridget Joyce – Martin was a former MD of Woodfab, a driving force behind the parade for some 11 years. Best club was Feile Fhearmui, with ‘Best Irish Theme’ going to Grange NS.
The Ballyporeen parade was reported to be the ‘most successful since the inception of the event in 1984’. As was the case with many events nationwide on the day, a minute’s silence was observed as a show of respect for the people who lost lives in a shooting tragedy of Dunblane, Scotland. Mitchelstown’s Jim Smith was grand marshal, best overall entry went to Knockadea Lotto Group, best float was awarded to Araglin Community Council and best walking group was Skeheenarinky National School.
In Mitchelstown, Jim Smith again was grand marshal and in spite of ‘a miserable morning of weather’, the parade got under way with large numbers participating. 1995 Queen of the Galtees, Linda Cahill, presented prizewinners, some of the main category winners being: best marching group 13th Battalion FCA, ‘best effort’ Knockadea Community All Sports Club, 1st walking group Mitchelstown Credit Union.
In brief – Ballynoe man Declan O’Neill, was an entrant in the commercial wiring section of the National Apprentice Competition at Cork RTC in March 1996. Castlelyons Pipe Band won the award for ‘Best Pipe Band’ in the Dungarvan St Patrick’s Day parade. Bride Rovers won the novelty act title at the East Cork Scor na bPaisti talent competition finals, with their sketch ‘Operation Allright’.
