Sporting success once again for local clubs – Mitchelstown ousted Mallow in the junior A football championship, contested in Araglin, on a scoreline of 0-10 to 0-6. Captained by Declan Power, they bridged a 20 year gap in the club’s history. Dave Moher was man of the match. Celebrations also in Glenville, as the Jim Ryan Memorial Cup was brought back to the parish following the villagers’ win against Aghada in the East Cork junior A football championship. The side, captained by Sean Hegarty, took victory on a 0-10 to 1-4 scoreline following a titanic struggle.
Meanwhile, Glanworth girls played a major role in bringing the All-Ireland junior football title back Leeside for the first time, with Maria Browne captaining the side, beating Tyrone 4-8 to 1-5. Impressively, 11 Glanworth ladies were on the Cork panel – Maria Browne (capt), Cathy Browne, Terese O’Keeffe, Margaret Buckley, Siobhan Murphy, Mary Buckley, Fiona O’Driscoll, Elaine Browne, Marie Reynolds, Mairead Murphy and Elizabeth Sweetnam.
Tributes were paid to two Fermoy Urban District Council employees, who were retiring after many years dedicated service. Kevin Kiernan from Corrin View was retiring as council rate collector, having given 32 years service, while Peter Spillane from Clondulane was retiring from his position as water curator, following 18 years service. Both men were presented with engraved gold watches, while their respective partners were presented with bouquets of flowers.
Parishioners in Ballyporeen congregated in the Reagan Centre, to pay tribute to both Rev Father Arthur PP and Sr Elsie Walsh, who were transferring from the parish. James Sheehan, chairman of Ballyporeen Community Council presiding, stated that Fr Arthur’s ministry in the parish, which lasted 3 years, was one of ‘care and understanding’. He had been appointed to a new role in the parish of Cappoquin. Sr Elsie, the last Sister of Mercy to teach in the South Tipperary village, was transferring to Wales. She had been principal of the Convent school for 10 years, being ‘totally committed to the development and welfare of each child’. Both were presented with hand painted scrolls as a memento of their time in Ballyporeen.
A heritage society was formed in Mitchelstown in October 1995, at a public lecture held in the Castlepark Hotel, which saw a discussion on the burning and looting of Mitchelstown Castle in 1922, presented by Bill Power. Formed ‘in response to public demand which arose during the Mitchelstown International Deer Festival’ that year, when an exhibition of old photographs and material on the Great Famine in the area ‘attracted considerable interest’, an ad hoc committee was put in place to steer the new society through its formative months. It was anticipated the first AGM would take place in April 1996.
A crowd in excess of 200 people attended the launch by Senator Joe Sherlock of Kildorrery Community Development Association’s own loop walks. Three different routes were now available to walkers included a relatively short 2 mile walk, right up to the ‘heavily subscribed 5.5 mile river walk’.
Many compliments were lauded on those associated with Fermoy Credit Union, at a civic reception hosted by Fermoy UDC, recognising their achievement on being voted the ‘Best Credit Union in Ireland’. Much was also made of the outside façade of the credit union building in the town, with town clerk Michael Cremin commenting that it should be entered in the Tidy Towns competition for the Best Shop Front in Ireland category. The staff were praised for being ‘accessible, warm, friendly, efficient and helpful’. Manager Brendan Cotter noted that the credit union ‘had a major role to play in the development of the community’, reflected in the fact that in the previous 12 months, they had paid out loans totalling £3.5 million to the local community.
‘The dancing was dangerous and the music contagious’ – so stated a Kildorrery Macra report in October 1995, where 21st birthday celebrations were held for ‘Joe’. After presenting him with ‘fifty quid’ in Walsh’s Bar, once the boxing (on the TV one assumes!) was finished, it was on to Ollie’s Bar. Then, exit stage left at closing time in taxis to the Clongibbon nightclub, where ‘instead of a birthday cake Joe got a bit of roast chicken with a candle stuck in the middle of it’. Once this was consumed, it was time for the ‘dangerous’ dancing!
