A survey by St Fanahans’s LCA class in January 2001 found Mitchelstown to be in ‘the dark ages’ in terms of human rights for wheelchair users. Amongst the things a wheelchair user couldn’t do in the town, were visit an ATM at either AIB or BOI, go into the bank, go to the toilet in a pub, or visit a doctor or priest due to steep kerbs and most oddly, wheelchair parking spaces designated on sloping ground. The report by the students was damning: ‘The message we got is loud and clear. Who cares!’
Hi ho, hi ho – there were grand dreams of a mining boom of zinc, as Amcorp identified a number of townlands in Fermoy as potentially rich in the valuable metal. Elsewhere, a public meeting in the town courthouse with the county council was due, to discuss the implementation of an ‘Image Improvement Plan’ for Fermoy.
A ‘brutal’ attack took place in Clogheen on a Polish man, where three men attacked him with a baseball bat and knuckledusters, in what was believed to be a case of mistaken identity.
Ballyduff Credit Union was due to be officially opened, having welcomed customers for the preceding two months. The CU had almost £8M in savings in the region in 2001.
Conna Flower Club celebrated 20 ‘blooming’ years in The Midleton Park Hotel. Their membership of almost 80 every year since its inception, held true to its motto, ‘Friendship through Flowers’.
In Mitchelstown, a small notice advertised self-defence classes for ladies, with instructor Eddie O’Donnell.
Louis, Rosemary and Ivor Palmer, helping out in Rockmills, at the Guinness World Record Tree planting attempt organised by Amanda Donegan, pro Kildorrery Community AGM Development Association. 
Kevin Neligan, whose sponsored headshave with Craig Hill, raised £1,413.15, handing over the proceeds to Fionnuala Murray, chairperson of COPE, Fermoy in the presence of COPE official John Clifford. 
Ballyporeen/Skeheenarinky juvenile GAA officers with guests at the victory social in Kilcoran Lodge Hotel held in January 2001. L-r: Michael McGrath (secretary), Tom Flannelly (treasurer), Micheal Ó Muircheartaigh, Tipperary hurling and football star Declan Browne, Donie Cahill (chairman) and Mick Lonergan (chairman Tipperary County Bord na nÓg). 
Things turn ugly in Shanballymore – Pauline Sutton who played the wicked stepmother (centre), with the ugly sisters – Kevin Linehan (Lovy) and Dan O’Regan (Dovy) at the pantomime ‘Cinderella’ performed in Shanballymore Community Hall in January 2001. 
Special guest Brian Corcoran with soe of Killavullen’s U15 team at their juvenile social in The Hazel Tree in 2001. L-r: Daniel Callanan, Neill O’Rahilly, Patrick O’Rahilly and Ned O’Meara. 
Ger and Deirdre Shinnick, along with Mary Dennehy at the presentation of Swim Week certificates to young swimers in Fermoy Leisure Centre. 
Doneraile students making their way to Nagle Rice Secondary School – Elaine Curran, Amanda Roche, Melissa Roche, Jennifer Shanahan and Mary O’Sullivan. 
Danny Keane from Fermoy, displaying his Irish dancing championship and medal won in 2000, pictured with his parents Donal and Della., when the Avondhu visited 21 years ago. 
Cast of the Hillside Players drama group, Ardpatirck who staged their ‘Cash on Delivery’ in January 2001 – l-r: back Pat Casey, Tom Murphy, Tom Moriarty, Pat McGrath and Mike Fenton; front, Eily Finn, Catherine O’Sullivan, Nora Moriarty and Yvonne Quillinan. Missing from photo was Pat Considine.
This week 41 years ago Ronald Reagan was inaugurated as the 40th president of the United States and the ‘stars and stripes’ flew in Ballyporeen. Unrelated to the presidential victory, Ballyporeen/Skeheenarinky GAA held a victory social in Kilcoran Lodge Hotel. The U16 stars, that took both hurling and football titles in 2000, were presented with their medals by Micheal O Muircheartaigh. Mr O Muircheartaigh also recited a poem, penned by local Willie Lynch.
Former Olympian Ronnie Delaney was on his way to Fermoy to open the sports complex in Fermoy Youth Centre.
Glocca Maura was lit up, at long last, as after years of lobbying 18 street lights were erected at the dangerous junction.
Riordan’s SuperValu in Fermoy were running a competition for Valentine’s Day – for a hot-air ballooning trip in Prague. Meanwhile, in Ryan’s Centra, one could get 6 cans of Carling for £5 – a price we won’t see again in our lifetime!
Danny Keane in Waterpark, Fermoy, displayed his own ‘feet of flames’, telling readers about his 18 Munster titles, three All-Irelands, and two championship medals for Irish dancing. The thirteen-year old spent a lot of time in the Booley House, Ballyduff set dancing.
For the first time, third level courses in Agriculture and Horticulture were available through the CAO process – the courses had been upgraded from Teagasc courses and brought agricultural training into the mainstream education system.
Kilworth Arts Centre looked forward to a visit from The Fureys, while Lismore Drama Society were hard at work for ‘My Fair Lady’, with Caroline O’Connor in the role of the Cockney Eliza. Shanballymore celebrated the massive hit that was Cinderella, the title role taken by Rosaleen O’Regan, her prince being Lorena Lynch. Joining them on stage were ugly sisters Kevin Linehan and Dan O’Regan, with their wicked stepmother Pauline Sutton.
Anglesboro Hall committee were celebrating 21 years since the opening of the facility, with a report that opened with what sounded like a call to arms! – ‘A place to meet, to organise, and to rally.’ The Liam Lynch Memorial Band were one group to make use of the hall, and the proposed cable car from Anglesboro to the top of Temple Hill was still on the agenda.
In Castletownroche, however, it was a different story as the Welcome Home Festival Committee meeting was abandoned, due to a ‘lack of interest’. Six people showed up, with at least 20 needed to run the event and the committee singled out the failure of local publicans to be supportive, with the exception of Mick Twohig.
A (presumably) tongue-in-cheek letter to The Avondhu deplored the ‘modern woman’, but blamed the men for letting them loose: it is ‘men themselves, weak kneed as they are, who must shoulder the blame when they don’t tame the shrews.’
Mitchelstown Celtic were the 2000-2001 Avondhu Shield champions, defeating Kilbehenny FC 4-1. Ballygiblin GAA’s minors (a little-known team, you may have heard of them?!) took the county semi-final over Donoughmore; and Anglesboro NS, for the second time, captured the South Limerick Roinn B Football Championship with victory over Glenroe NS.
