Rain and wind did little to deter hundreds of fans who flocked to Castlelyons to pay tribute to All Ireland champion and Cork’s number one hurler Timmy McCarthy.
The huge crowd gave Timmy, his victorious team mates and their mentors a rapturous welcome. The group travelled from the national school to the community centre in an open top bus where they spoke to the crowd about their successful season.
It was a special night for the people of the area and particularly for the local GAA members as Timmy was the first to win an All-Ireland medal in the senior ranks.
He thanked the locals for their support and for braving the inclement weather to welcome him and his team. He had special praise and thanks for his local alma mater and for the Castlelyons GAA Club who had nurtured his skills as a hurler.
The future of salmon fishing on the Blackwater was causing concern 20 years ago as much as it is now as there were rumours that plans were afoot to abandon the Rosnalee salmon trap at Kanturk and the Mallow hatchery.
The future looked bleak for fishing enthusiasts as there were fears that enhanced spawning of salmon would cease on the waterway.
The practice of ‘stripping’ salmon and raising the fry had been used for generations, not only to replenish and augment the fishing stocks in the river, but also as a failsafe in event of a substantial fish kill and the destruction of spawning redds on the river.
The predicted consequence of abandoning the release of fry would, according to campaigners, lead to economic ruin for the Blackwater Valley area.
It was estimated, at the time, that each salmon taken by an angler, was valued at £1,000 to the local economy and that the tourist salmon anglers who visit Ireland from across the globe each year brought an estimated £1m.
The Avondhu reported that there was a refusal by Governmental agencies to spend £15,000 on the trap and hatchery which would make them safe to operate.
The agencies were not prepared to take responsibility for the upkeep of the facilities which, in the past, had released 1.5 million salmon fry into the Blackwater annually.
Strong efforts were under way to bring a so-called ‘superloo’ public toilet to Mitchelstown.
Councillors put their party differences aside to call for the facility during a meeting at the county council’s housing and sanitary meeting. The need for the toilet was said to have grown in recent years as pubs and hotels in the town were experiencing an inconvenience as members of the public sought a convenience in their washrooms.
Cllr Joe Sherlock said: ‘The decision to remove the public toilets in Mitchelstown was short sighted in the extreme.’
The communities of Ballindangan, Anglesborough, Knockadea and Kilbehenny were said to be in a state of disappointment after Dairygold decided to close depots.
The community of Anglesborough were considering purchasing their now defunct depot from the company. At a public meeting it was mooted that this land could be used to build social housing.
Dairygold said that the move was part of a restructuring plan to reduce costs. A statement said that the strategy was part of a reaction to the changing agriculture environment.
Dodgy crumbling footpaths and bad piping were causing concerns in Kilworth. Repairs to the broken footpaths were delayed due to funding issues as the money was needed to carry out emergency works on the town’s water supply system.
The problems of low water pressure in the area had been a constant problem for local people for years but that would now be solved.
People in Galbally and Ballylanders were suffering a spree of break-ins and thefts at homes across the area.
The properties were hit by burglars when their occupants were out working during the day.
The Avondhu reported: ‘It is impossible for any one garda to police an area the size of the Galbally Garda District and if those miscreants are to be brought to justice additional members of he force should be allocated to local garda stations’.
One incident saw a break-in and theft of money from the sacristy of the Church of Christ the King in Galbally after a collection the previous weekend.
In sport Forge Celtic romped through to the semi final of the Avondhu Sports Club Shield with a 4-0 victory over Boroeagle Celtic. It took just ten minutes to get a goal through the boot strike of Pat Costigan and it was a dominant performance from then on.
Saint Catherines GAA continued their progression in the county minor B hurling championships with a 3-8 to 1-5 victory over their rivals Kinsale.
