The front page of The Avondhu in November 2000 carried photos of the four feet of water that had inundated Fermoy, after the river burst its banks following 36 hours of rainfall. BUPA hired two four wheel drive vehicles to bring employees to work, while Silver Pail and and SCI took a more lenient approach, allowing workers to leave early to avoid being stranded.
Over in Kilworth, the residents of Monadrishane were no safer. Frank Murphy, who “should have been reading his newspaper and relaxing”, saw water cascade through his front gate, while a second “wall of water” built up at the rear of the house. He and neighbour Sean Ó Murchú priased the Mitchelstown Fire Brigade for bailing them out.
Water, water, everywhere, as the Flood Action Group in Fermoy expressed “disbelief” at Lidl being granted planning permission in the town. Chairman of the group, Michael Bartley, said “If you drop a stone in a bucket of water, the water will overflow and that is what is worrying people in this particular development.”
On drier land over in Mitchelstown, Mary Gorey, chairperson of the Chernobyl Outreach Group, accepted a Community Award from David Kent, president of the town’s Credit Union. The same Credit Union welcomed their newest member too this week – 10 week old Cliona Prendergast. At the time, newborn babies received a £25 lodgement to their account for registering with the institute.
The market town was looking good, with new developments giving a facelift to proceedings. These included a new Xtravision store on Upper Cork St, and a refurbished facade of the Co-op Superstore in New Square. Galtee Electric proprietor Tom Hyland was focusing on Fotostop, also in New Square, sharing that there was an “air of prosperity” in the town. Paddy Power was due to move into a new store in Market Square, at a site believed to have sold for £500,000.
However, contradictorily, it was the same old story 21 years ago, as residents of New Square in Mitchelstown complained of the council’s consistent failure to maintain the weeds and plants in the area. Rubbish, dead trees, and weeds were the cause of disquiet.
Glengarra Wood in Tipperary was chosen as one of 14 the locations for the Millennium Forest project. 40,000 native Irish trees would be planted 1300 acre wood, part of a total of 1.2 million to be planted countrywide.
Across in Billy’s Cottage, Castletownroche, Gertrude and John Magner were recognised for their four star self-catering accommodation, winning a National Rural Tourism Award. Elsewhere in the village, a wild night was had in The Spinning Wheel Bar, as locals waited for Deuces Wild to arrive home for a night’s revelry. The busking duo of Liam Mullane and Clifton O’Callaghan were recently victorious in the Nivita Song Contest.
The Firgrove Hotel played host to a Waltzing competition organised by Kathleen Dennehy, Delia Tobin, and Joan Sweeney, in aid of the Mitchelstown area Lourdes Fund. In Glanworth, “Give Them a Chance”, a single released in aid of the Chernobyl Children’s Project, was penned by local Steve Critch, and performed by Fat Salad. The CD was launched in the community hall in the village by Patricia Messenger.
A centrepage guide to “Dining Out” appeared in The Avondhu, noting that dining out had become a “hobby”, of sorts. The guid was a kind of “how-to” eat and drink in public (!)
The letters page 21 years ago included a submission from a reader who extolled the virtues of a chastity campaign for Ireland’s youth, remarking that to promote condom use to prevent teen pregnancy was akin to “throwing petrol on flames”.
The Classifieds section carried a brief ad for a fat pig for sale, who was “suitable for home-curing”.
“Treacherous” weather over the previous two weekends meant a horde of matches were postponed over field conditions, and golf was at a standstill. For some Juvenile teams, the season ended early. However, the Mitchelstown Bowls Club rolled along, with Tom Lawton, Phil Lawton, and Joe Cowell getting through to the next round of the Nationals in St Anthony’s Hall.
Joe Burke of Mitchelstown Celtic took the Soccer Sport Star Award 2000 at the recent Mitchelstown Skittles Club awards night, while congratulations were meted out to the town’s Willie O’Connor, who ran the 2000 Dublin Marathon in 3 hours 25 mins in the “worst weather ever” for the 26 mile run.
Glenroe’s men’s Junior A Hurlers, captained by Johnny Murphy, were headed for the Limerick County Championship Final, taking on Newcastlewest for the title (weather permitting).
And, for 2000, Mitchelstown Badminton Club’s tournament concluded, and the Section A winners were announced as Clotilde Fitzgibbon, and Mary Gorey. The Secion B winners were Mary T O’Farrell, and Annette Maguire.
