Dungarvan observer 9 12 2016 supplement by Dungarvan Observer

December 9, 2016

Christmas Special 2016

CONTENTS Page 3 Printmaster – Your image is our image Page 4 Editorial Page 5 Chamber vouchers helped to retain over €300k in Dungarvan last year Page 6 A tale of love, passion and murder Page 7 Alone – show an older person you care this Christmas Page 8 Memories of an Altar boy of the ’fifties Page 9 Barnardos launches Christmas toy appeal in Waterford Page 10 Jimmy’s top tips for cooking your turkey this Christmas

Radio Snowflake partners with Irish Kidney Association to highlight the Gift of Life

CAPITOL CLEANERS

Established 1958

O’Connell Street, Dungarvan 058-41412 Ann-Marie and staff wish all their customers and friends a very peaceful Christmas and a healthy and happy New Year

Page 11 Early Christmas present for people living in Waterford with Diabetes Pages 12 Daring Civil War rescue in Dungarvan

Prendergasts Agri Contractors & Plant Hire

Pages 13 On Christmas Day, our Childline volunteers will answer 1,100 calls Page 14 Fr. Victor Power, Curate and community leader Page 15 Shopping for Christmas – how about a grain store in Africa?

Glencorrin, Ardmore, Co. Waterford 086-8136796 • 087-8136496

Page 16 Dungarvan Aglow continues to build on success of previous years

Would like to wish all their customers and friends a Happy Christmas and a Prosperous New Year

Page 17 Dungarvan Aglow 2016 Page 18 Nature and poetry Page 19 A magical Christmas at the Beach House! Pages 20 & 21 All kinds of kindness Page 22 The ultimate Christmas gift guide Page 23 Shakespeare was a Catholic! Page 24 Dungarvan and the Free Education announcement Page 25 Santa Letter Pages 26 Tour de Munster €285k early Christmas present for Down Syndrome Ireland Pages 27 Sweet Sixteen Pages 28 The traditions of the 8th December Pages 29 Weave wishes this Christmas with Make-A-Wish Ireland Page 30 Helping improve the lives of those in Soweta Slum, Nairobi Page 31 A bridge to the Cunnigar – almost Page 32 The old-ish refrain Page 33 Great value parking in the South East’s best shopping town Page 34 Muldoon Irish Whiskey Liqueur Menu Page 35 Children’s boutique in an old world setting Page 36 Kid’s Christmas Puzzles Page 37 Irish Racing Yearbook 2017 Page 38 Year Ahead Horoscopes 2017 Page 39 No.1 best selling children’s book Historopedia Page 40 Proud winners Sherry FitzGerald Marketing Award

2 | December 9, 2016 | Dungarvan Observer

Pictured at the launch of Radio Snowflake 2016 and the announcement of its charity partnership with the Irish Kidney Association (IKA) were Santa Claus with Tadhg McElroy (age 5) who underwent a kidney transplant in April 2014, thanks to his living donor mother Clidhna Costello. [Conor McCabe Photography]

WITH the season of goodwill now upon us, the Irish Kidney Association is partnering with Radio Snowflake in inviting the general public to reflect on the ultimate gift, the GIFT OF LIFE that is organ donation. Radio Snowflake promises to provide the perfect mix of sounds this Christmas while also bringing into focus the importance of organ donation by encouraging families to discuss their wishes about being an organ donor when they come together to celebrate the festive season. The online radio station, which will air from 1st December for 26 days, has chosen the Irish Kidney Association as its charity partner to help raise awareness of the plight

of people with organ failure and the vital importance of organ donation as well as highlighting the supports the organisation provides to patients and their families around Ireland. People can listen in online live to Radio Snowflake www.radiosnowflake.c om and also take it wherever they go by downloading Radio Snowflake’s free official App (search Radio Snowflake) from the Google Play Store and iTunes. Listeners will be encouraged to get the organ donor card by Freetexting the word DONOR to 50050 or downloading the Donor Ecard App on their smartphone or by ticking their wishes on their driving licence application.

11 MAIN STREET, DUNGARVAN, CO. WATERFORD Tel. 058 41795 E: daltonjewellers123@gmail.com ALL ALL PURCHASES WRAPPED PURCHASESGIFT GIFT WRAPPED ANDAND ENGRAVED OFCHARGE CHARGE ENGRAVEDFREE FREE OF Open Sundays in December 2.00 p.m . to 5.00 p.m.

An Linn Bhuidhe An Rinn, Dúngarbhan 058-46854

Season’s Greetings Beannachtaí na Nollaig do ár Cuistimeirí O Áine agus Jacinta

December 9, 2016 | Dungarvan Observer | 3

The true spirit of Christmas WHILE people will say that Christmas is only for children, they may miss the important point of what the Holy Season represents: the birth of the Saviour. It was He who gave us not only the beliefs, but who also showed us the lifestyle of Christianity. As we ponder on the Ireland of today, we celebrate our emergence from the dark days of financial collapse and congratulate ourselves on our achievements. Which we are entitled to do.

Incorp. Munster Industrial Advocate However, if we are to learn any lesson from those years of hardship, it may be that not everyone has emerged unscathed and that some are still suffering from the lack of even the most basic comforts. While men and women sleep rough in our doorways; while children do homework kneeling at the bed of a modest hotel room and while the old and less well off wait months and years for

medical treatment, we can not claim to genuinely espouse Christian values. We have many faiths in this country, we have people who follow no such path, but most will celebrate Christmas amid the lights and the tinsel and the trees and the gifts. And this we are entitled to do too. But let us not forget the less well off, the marginalised, the suffering and the lonely, who need and deserve our help and support. To respond to that call is to celebrate the coming of Christ as we should. He too slept rough in his earliest days. And if we do, then we may even find a deeper and more fulfilling enjoyment of our Christmas.

Reg. in GPO as a Newspaper • Shandon, Dungarvan, Co. Waterford • 058-41205/42042 • www.dungarvanobserver.ie • news@dungarvanobserver.ie

Villierstown Joinery Wishing all our customers a very happy Christmas and New Year We would like to thank all our customers for their continued support throughout the year.

For Free Design Ideas and Quotations please contact (024) 96662 / (087) 2420124 e-mail: sales@villierstownjoinery.ie

For all your PTO Repairs, Workshop equipment, Power Washers – hot/cold, Plough/Harrow Parts Abbey Machinery Parts, Loader Tines, Slurry Coup & Hoses, Rubbolite Lamps, Hydraulic Hoses and Lubricants, Bearings, Belts & Batteries Also in stock:

Christmas Specials on:

Cardboard Balers For Sale

Teng Tools / Children’s Overalls

4 | December 9, 2016 | Dungarvan Observer

Christmas postal Reader’s dates Choice MEMBERS of the public are reminded to post early for Christmas and to check the last dates for posting, as they differ for each destination worldwide. IRELAND For registered post, standard post letters and parcels within Ireland, the last posting date is 21st December. For Express Post, the last posting date is 22nd December, 2016. If sending post to the north of Ireland, the last posting date is 20th December for registered post and standard post letters and parcels; and 21st December for Express Post. BRITAIN Last posting dates for mail going to Britain is 19th December for registered post and standard post letters and parcels. For international courier service (available at selected Post Offices) the last posting date to Britain is 21st December. EUROPE Last posting date for registered post and standard post letters to Europe is 19th December. However, last posting date for standard post parcels to Europe is 13th December. For International courier service to Europe (available at selected Post Offices) the last posting date is 21st December. USA Last posting date for registered post and standard post parcels to USA is 9th December, 2016; and 12th December for standard post letters. For International courier service to USA (available at selected Post Offices) the last posting date is 20th December. REST OF THE WORLD Last posting date for registered post and standard post letters and parcels to the rest of the world is 7th December.

For international courier service to the rest of the world (available at selected Post Offices) the last posting date is 16th December. An Post advise that international mail delivery times are estimates and are subject to local postal operator delays. MAIL COLLECTION AND OPENING HOURS Customers should note that there will be no mail collection on Christmas Eve, 24th December, and there will be no mail delivery or collection on 28th December. The Post Office will be open for normal business hours from Monday, 19th December to Friday, 23rd December. Post Offices will close from 1.00 p.m. on Saturday, 24th December. Normal business hours resume from Thursday, 29th December until Saturday, 31st December. The Post Office will then close until Tuesday, 3rd January, 2017, when normal business hours resume.

Lower Main Street, Dungarvan Phone: 058-42938 W ishing all our customer s and f r i e n d s a ve r y h a p py C h r i s t m a s a n d p r o s p e r o u s N e w Ye a r

J U S T G R E AT VA L U E 40–42 Lower Main Street, Dungarvan T: 058-42786 • F: 058-42909 E: info@davidwalshdungarvan.com W: www.davidwalshdungarvan.com We would like to wish our customers a very merry Christmas and all the best for 2017

Chamber vouchers helped to retain over €300k in Dungarvan last year OVER €300,000 was retained in Dungarvan last year, thanks to the Christmas Shopping Vouchers operated by Dungarvan and West Waterford Chamber. The figure beats all previous sales records and clearly shows the commitment of people to keeping their local economy strong and vibrant by supporting local business. Since the initiative began back in 2006, close to €2m has been retained in the town - a phenomenal amount of money, which in turn supports local businesses and local jobs. Before the scheme came into being, hundreds of thousands of euro in sales was being leaked to other towns in the region each year, as people went elsewhere to shop, particularly at Christmas. The Chamber reports that their vouchers are very high on the list of Christmas gifts and staff bonus’ again this year and are already ahead by €70,000 year-on-year sales, so it is expected the €300k record from last year will be smashed - and

with total sales of vouchers coming to just over €1.7m since 2006, the Chamber are expecting to top the €2m mark in sales later this year. An increase in voucher sales to businesses made a huge impact, as more employers used Chamber Vouchers to reward their staff throughout the year. This year, the tax threshold has increased from €250 to €500 per person, so immediately the Chamber has seen many employers increasing their order for staff bonus’. The popularity of the vouchers as gifts also continued to grow, with customers choosing to buy them to celebrate a wide variety of special occasions from birthdays and weddings to Communions and Christmas. The main selling point of Chamber Vouchers has been the range of choice available to recipients - vouchers can be used in over 100 local businesses for a huge selection of products and services. “It's a win-win - the recipient has great choice and

the purchaser has the added value of knowing that they are supporting the community and securing jobs by keeping business local,” said Chamber CEO Jenny Beresford, who is delighted with the success of the scheme. “In recent years everyone has become much more conscious of how important it is to support the local economy. This scheme is the perfect way to achieve this,” she added. Dungarvan and West Waterford Chamber Shopping Vouchers are available all year round from the Chamber Office, The Dungarvan Tourist Office and Capitol Cleaners in Dungarvan. They are available in €10, €25 and €50 denominations.

We would like to wish our Customers a Very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year

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Dungarvan Business Park, Dungarvan, Co. Waterford

058 43381

McDonalds DUNGARVAN

December 9, 2016 | Dungarvan Observer | 5

A tale of love, passion and murder

By Tom Keith

Lynch Execution Hall, Galway “IN an obscure corner of Galway stands a house of extreme antiquity, over the door of which are still to be seen a cross and skull bones, remarkably well sculptured in black marble.” This is the opening paragraph of a tale beloved of the city’s tour guides, because it contains all of the elements necessary for a good story: riches, romance, a beautiful woman and a young man ‘of the most noble air, united with a cheerful temper and considerate familiarity’. The language, of course, is that of the 15th Century from which time this tragic tale descends. The story was reprinted in the Star and Republican Banner of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania in 1832 from the original Galway newspaper. It concerns a one James Lynch ‘a man of old family and great wealth’ who traded in wine with merchants in Spain and who was elected Mayor of Galway for life, an office which was almost akin to royalty.

His son Edward, one of the most distinguished young men of his time, was enchanted by a local girl named Anna Blake, ‘a girl possessing every lovely and attaching quality’ but he was having difficulty gaining her affections. One day, his father was called to Cadiz on business and, having delegated his authority into trusty hands, prepared everything for a distant journey. With an overflowing heart he blessed his son, wished him the best and sailed for his destination and a meeting with his merchant counterpart named Gomez. The merchant had a son named Gonsalvo ‘whose graceful person exhibited more softness than energy; his languid dark blue eyes more tenderness and love than boldness and pride’. Lynch senior determined to propose to the old Gomez a marriage between Gonsalvo and his daughter. The fathers were soon agreed; and it was resolved that Gonsalvo should accompany his future father-

in-law to the coast of Ireland, and if the inclinations of the young people favoured the project, their marriage should take place at the same time with Edward's to Anna Blake. Edward’s father was delighted with the passage of events and, when they returned to Galway after a difficult voyage, he congratulated himself not only on the second son which God had sent him, but on the beneficial influence which Gonsalvo was having on his son. Edward’s father encouraged him to befriend Gonsalvo and their friendship soon ripened into the warmest and most sincere affection. But not many months had passed, before some uneasy feelings arose in Edward's mind to trouble this harmony. Gonsalvo had become the husband of his sister, but had deferred his return to Spain for an indefinite time. He had become the object of general admiration, attention and love. Edward felt that he was less happy than formerly

Skull Crossbones 6 | December 9, 2016 | Dungarvan Observer

and realised that he had encountered ‘a successful rival of his former universal and uncontested popularity’. Worse still, since Gonsalvo had arrived, his Anna had become colder and colder towards himself. He thought he even detected some unseemly looks between her and Gonsalvo. As he became more suspicious, his love for Anna soured and his resentment for Gonsalvo grew. ‘Henceforth it seemed his sole enjoyment was to give pain to the woman he passionately loved; and now, in the bitterness of his heart, held her guilty of all sufferings. Whenever occasion presented itself, he sought to humble and to embarrass her, to sting her by disdainful pride, or to overwhelm her with cutting reproaches; in an attempt ‘to allay the scorching fever of his heart’. “When at length he thought he saw his sister neglected, and himself betrayed by a serpent whom he had cherished in his bosom” he was distraught and resolved to take action.

It transpired later that he was not mistaken and came upon an illicit meeting between Gonsalvo and Anna. According to his subsequent confession, Edward had concealed himself behind a pillar and had seen Gonsalvo enter Anna’s father’s house. “At the horrible certainty which now glared upon him, the fury of hell took possession of his soul. Like an infuriate tiger, he darted upon the unhappy youth, who recognised him, and vainly fled. Edward instantly overtook him, seized him, and burying his dagger a hundred times, with strokes like lightning flashes in the quivering body, gashed with Satanic rage the beautiful features which had robbed him of his beloved, and of peace.” When his anger subsided ‘he waked with horror’, as from some internal dream. But the deed was done, and judgment was at hand. “Led by the instinct of self-preservation he fled, like Cain, into the nearest wood. How long he wandered there, he could not recollect. Fear, love, repentance, despair, and at last madness, pursued him like frightful companions’. News of the murder soon spread and also word that a dagger ‘steeped in blood’ and plumed hat had been found at the site of the murder and identified as Edward’s. Not knowing the culprit was his son, Lynch Senior ‘mounted his horse, and accompanied by a crowd of people, calling for vengeance, swore solemnly that nothing should save the murderer, were he even compelled to execute him with his own hands’. Edward gave himself up and implored his father, merchant and Mayor, for instant punishment. He was brought home bound, tried before a full assembly of magistrates, and condemned to death by his own father. “But the people would not lose their darling. Like the waves of the tempest-

troubled sea, they filled the market-place and the streets, and forgetting the crime of the son in the relentless justice of the father, demanded with threatening cries the opening of the prison and the pardon of the criminal.” The father would have none of it and, accompanied by a priest, he proceeded through a secret passage to the dungeon of his son; and when, ‘with newly awakened desire of life, excited by the sympathy of his fellow citizens, Edward sunk at his feet, and asked him eagerly if he brought him mercy and pardon’. The old man replied with faltering voice, "No my son, in this world there is no mercy for you; your life forfeited to the law and at sun-rise you must die.” After a short prayer, Edward surrendered himself with heroic resignation to his father's pitiless will. As the people and armed men prepared to storm the prison, James Lynch appeared at a lofty window; his son stood at his side, with the halter round his neck. "I have swore," exclaimed the inflexible magistrate, that Gonsalvo's murderer should die, even though I must perform the office of the executioner myself. Providence has taken me at my word; and you, madmen, learn from the most wretched of fathers, that nothing must stop the course of justice, and that even the ties of nature must break before it." He then tied the rope to an iron beam projecting from the wall and launched his son into eternity. James Lynch, Mayor returned to his house and resigned all his occupations and dignities, and was never beheld by any eye but his own family. He never left his house till he was carried from it to his grave. Ann Blake died in a convent. Both families, in course of time disappeared from the earth, but the skull and the cross bones still mark the scene of this fearful tragedy.

Alone - Show an older person you care this Christmas Anne Doyle launches campaign highlighting loneliness and isolation among older people . . . ALONE, the charity that supports older people to age at home, launched their Christmas campaign highlighting the isolation and loneliness of older people around Christmas time. At the launch of the campaign Anne Doyle, one of Ireland's best loved broadcasters, urged members of the public to reach out to the older members of their community this Christmas and offer support to those who are living alone. Anne Doyle commented at the launch, “I have been an admirer of the work of ALONE for many years and I am delighted to help them launch their Christmas campaign this year. Loneliness and isolation can be real problems for older people and it's important that we are all aware of this.” She continued “Today, with our hectic lifestyles, many of us know little or nothing about our neighbours. ALONE are asking people to check on their older neighbours, they may need something, even if it's only your company and your time. If an older person knows someone is looking out for them it gives them an enormous sense of security and comfort. This Christmas let's show them someone cares.” As part of this year’s Christmas Campaign, ALONE is also urging older people not to be afraid to ask for the care and support they deserve and are entitled to. Sean Moynihan, CEO of ALONE said, "ALONE’s Christmas Campaign this year is not just about charity, it’s about rights. Older people not only deserve to live with dignity but

“Where the kettle is always on the boil”

Padre Pio Rest Home CAPPOQUIN 058-54117 e-mail: padrepioresthome@gmail.com

Wishing all the Family and Friends of Padre Pio a peaceful and joyous Christmas

Bonnie’s Bouquets New Street, Lismore 058 54734 / 087 4123855 SPECIALISTS IN WEDDING FLOWERS CHRISTMAS WREATHS • INDOOR & OUTDOOR PLANTS • ETC. Free Delivery Locally • Telephone Orders Welcome • All Credit Cards Accepted • Prop: Veronica Troy

A Happy and peaceful Christmas to all

Michael & John O’Connell Agricultural & Plant Contractors Glenlickey, Grange they have a right to. We want them to know that they have a right to be supported, to receive the care they need and to live in a place of their own choosing.” He continued, “Over the Winter period calls for support dramatically increase and loneliness is one of the main issues that older people face. Many older people think that by asking for help and support they are bothering people. We want them to know that they deserve more than a little help and support and they shouldn’t be afraid to ask for it. For those

who may feel that they have no one to ask for help, ALONE offers supports and services that can link older people back in with their community and neighbours.” ALONE say that there are a number of ways that the public can help an older person this Christmas some of these are; calling by an older persons house to say hello, ensuring they have enough food, medication and heat, bringing them out for a drive or to a social event and giving them a hand with their shopping. At Christmas, ALONE’s activities include; the organisation of 300 volunteers who visit older people each week, a Christmas dinner dance for older people and volunteers, the delivery of hundreds of Christmas hampers to older people in need and a special Christmas Day dinner delivery for a number of older people. For those who have concerns about their own well-being, or the wellbeing of an older person in their community, ALONE can be contacted on (01) 679 1032.To make a donation and help aid ALONE’s work this Christmastime visit www.alone.ie

Wish all their Customers, Relatives and Friends a very Happy Christmas and a Prosperous New Year

MONICA’S 7 Mary Street, Dungarvan Tel. 058-41202 67 YEARS IN BUSINESS SERVING DUNGARVAN

• Suppliers of official school uniforms for all local schools • Ladies fashions size 12–26 • Childrenswear • Babywear • Wool • Haberdashery • Mass Cards

Wishing all our customers a joyful and peaceful Christmas and New Year

December 9, 2016 | Dungarvan Observer | 7

Memories of an Altar Boy of the ‘Fifties By Tome Keith I REMEMBER that Christmas morning, 1957 so well, when my mother came to call me shortly after 7am to go with her to first Mass at 8am and serve as an Altar Boy for the very first time. It was dark and my mother used a flashlight so as not to wake my older brother and, in my enthusiasm to get started, I swung my legs out of bed sending the flashlight spinning across the floor. The streets were almost deserted as we made our way to the Church, but the air was warm and humid, more like October than the 25th December. This was going to be a change from my normal routine of looking down on the Altar from the ‘mens’ gallery’ beside my father, which had been my perch at Mass since I was brought first day. As I looked down on the priest and servers in their vestments as they went through the various rituals I saw them more as men than boys as they seemed so much older and taller than me. Truth was, they were probably twelve or thirteen. In late September that year, our senior Curate, Fr. John Power had come in to our school and asked for volunteers to train as Altar Boys. The few who volunteered were ready to don the soutane and surplice and learn to light the charcoal, swing the thurible and send the smoke rising to the ceiling thirty feet above. When the October Devotions had started we went regularly to the Sacristy of St. Mary’s and began our near three month induction into the service. First and foremost, there was Latin to be learned because this was 1957, long before Vatican II decided that Latin was out and the local language was to

be used for all celebrations. So began the arduous task of conquering all those foreign words: ‘Ad deum qui laetificat, juventutem meum’, replying to the Pater Noster (Our Father) with ‘Sed libera nos a malo’ and the oft repeated ‘Et cum spiritu tuo’ to the priest’s Dominus Vobiscum’. It is interesting to note that after fifty years of change and several variations of this response in English, we have arrived back at the Latin translation, ‘and with your spirit’. A couple of nights each week we would sit in the two soft armchairs in the Sacristy and practice our Latin pronunciations and try to memorise all the phrases. During a break from this brain-draining practice, we would be taken into the Sanctuary and put through our paces in the proper way to genuflect: right knee only, no sprawling, no smiling, hands always joined, and walking with measured pace, never running. Referees might refer to it as ‘learning the mechanics’. We were taught to bow properly and to bend low for the Consecration without crouching, while keeping our hands joined. It was a feat of balance to be practiced often. We were instructed in the various tasks which were allocated to the four chosen boys on the Altar that day. There was the Gospel side and the Epistle side, which denoted who brought the wine and who brought the water at the offertory and who moved the missal after the initial readings. There was the task of sounding the gong or twirling the bells and, as there was only one person, the Priest, to give out Holy Communion, one altar boy was detailed to use the paten. He had been given proper instruction in how to stay ahead of the priest and not cut the throat of the communicant when

placing the paten under the chin. Yes, lots of duties and protocols to be learned. There were the different ‘grades’ of Mass – the High Mass for the dead, with its near constant chanting by the six or seven priests in attendance – no responses needed from us that day - was trickiest of all, which was reserved for the seniors, or at least one senior and a new boy. There were the funeral rites in the mortuary and the prayers at the graveside without the aid of the modern public address system. and weddings too. Attendance and service at these had their own benefits. The first was getting out of school for a couple of hours and secondly, the pecuniary reward. This varied greatly and it became well known that the more flamboyant and expensive the wedding, the less likely we were to receive our reward. Consequently, we harboured a dislike for weddings where there were top hats and tails. Occasionally, we would get a ten shilling note each, which, when translated into daily usage equated with twenty visits to the cinema matinees. But naturally, a percentage was taken at home and was put to some special purpose. One memorable gift was after an Anniversary Mass when the daughter of the deceased, home from America for the occasion gave me a paper dollar for my service. Holy Week was a time we looked forward to with its series of celebrations from Holy Thursday to Midnight Mass on Saturday night. It was so much better to be active on the Altar than sitting in a seat during the long celebrations. Forces were split for Holy Week, with the senior boys performing most of the duties. The Mercy Convent, where the celebrations were held an hour before the

Parish Church, also needed servers who were treated to tea and biscuits in the cook’s dining room / parlour afterwards.You would need to be quick to the biscuits which usually disappeared ever before the tea arrived. There were the games to while away the time before ceremonies. Like how long could we hold our breath measured on the large wall clock with the sweeping hand to count the seconds. I usually won that because I learned early on how to take in a breath a little at a time without being noticed. A consolation for the missed biscuits I suppose. As we sat outside the Sacristy in the early Summer evenings of May, dressed for duty and waiting for the call to benediction or to the arriving funeral hearse, we played a game which involved selecting a town name and speaking a sentence with some of the words or syllables of the town in it. There was the competition on Sunday mornings at 11.30 a.m. Mass to see who could run fastest around the circuit of the church outside, ringing the handbell to alert the gossiping men that it was time to go inside. On more than one occasion when trying for a record, a boy came a cropper trying to take the three steps behind the Church in one leap, the better to improve his time. Autumn was a dangerous time too as the crushed berries underneath the yew tree along the route took the feet from under the runner. Perhaps the biggest ‘event’ of all was the annual Eucharistic Procession through five streets and the town square where the procession paused for Benediction. As we knelt on the ground, trying to avoid the boiling tar of the June afternoon, (the better prepared brought a sheet of newspaper to protect the knees of their

trousers) we could hear the tramp of army boots behind, as the FCA (Army Reserve these days) Honour Guard arrived and came to a sharp halt. We heard the butts of their rifles clatter on the ground and a surreptitious look behind us showed that bayonets were attached, sending a slight shiver down the spine. The noise was even greater in the tiled sanctuary of the Church later, as they came to attention once more and presented arms at the blessing with the Monstrance. The highlight of our year of course, was the annual outing to wherever the Cahir Scouts were camping, usually in Dunmore East by the sea. We were treated to lunch at the campsite and saw how they lived at camp, practised their scout-craft and played through their days away from home. We had time afterwards for a walk along the beach and across the rocks; a paddle in the sea and a look at the Lifeboat and trawlers in the harbour. This filled the rest of our afternoon and soon it was back to the bus for the trip home. We would stop in Clonmel where Fr. Power, he who had recruited us and who always accompanied us, delved in his pocket for money for icecream for those who had no

nothing left. Naturally, everyone got something and how he managed to have so many sixpenny bits, or tanners as we knew them, to hand out was a mystery. I suspect he had brought a pocketful specially for the occasion. At Christmas, we joined with the Scouts again to go Carol Singing for charity in the eight days up to Christmas Eve. The weather was mainly pleasant with the occasional rainy or frosty night. It was fun walking the streets, some of which were unlit and also calling to ‘the Colonel’s’ and other ‘great houses’ where the St.Vincent de Paul Collectors probably got a big donation in exchange for our two hymns. They were simple and enjoyable days, providing us with good memories of good friends and early mornings for 8.00 a.m. Mass before school every third week. At least one of our group became a priest and he is now a Parish Priest in Florida, a long way from frosty mornings in Cahir and red yew berries that make you slip. But, as he trains his own servers, he will surely remember the training of Fr. Power and the thrill of a thirty second circuit of the church, bell in hand calling the men to prayer.

This is one of many poems written by Mai O'Higgins, Dungarvan's legendary songwriter and poet . . . .

A Donkey Speaks to the Babe in the Stall I’m just a little donkey brown. Beside your Crib I'm kneeling down. My simple heart is filled with awe. To see you there upon the straw I have no gifts to offer you, But maybe, if I closer drew My hay-sweet breath would warm the air Around your tiny body there.

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Your little hands need have no fears If you would stroke my funny ears. One day you’ll ride upon my back Along a joyful, palm-strewn track. Your journey done, you'll leave with me, Mark of the Cross for all to see. Little Babe from Heaven above Accept a little donkey’s love.

Barnardos Launches Christmas Toy Appeal in Waterford supported by GLS ParcelShops Make a Child’s Christmas by Donating a Gift to Barnardos BARNARDOS has launched its annual Christmas Toy Appeal, supported by GLS ParcelShops. The children’s charity is asking shoppers in Waterford to add the Barnardos Christmas Toy Appeal to their shopping lists this festive season and help make a child’s Christmas. Every Christmas Barnardos needs gifts for children of all ages, from babies through to teenagers. The charity asks that all gifts are new and unwrapped and has a handy gift guide available on its website, www.barnardos.ie, to help shoppers choose age-appropriate toys and gifts. For the seventh year running, GLS ParcelShops are supporting the Barnardos Toy Appeal. Drop your gift off at any of 180 GLS ParcelShops nationwide by Friday 16th December and it will be delivered to Barnardos in time for Christmas. To find your local GLS ParcelShops visit www.barnardos.ie/toyappeal. The GLS ParcelShops in Waterford are located in: • Suirdzign, 29 Patrick Street, Waterford City • De Paor, Scanlan's Yard, Dungarvan • Spar, Fountain Street, Ferrybank, Waterford City • McCormack’s Hard-

ware, Summerhill, Tramore Speaking at the launch, Barnardos CEO Fergus Finlay said, “For most of us, Christmas brings up happy memories. But for many of the families we work with in Barnardos, it can be a burden. Thousands of children and families are facing hardships every day across the country – and we see firsthand the extra pressure they come under at Christmas.” “We are truly grateful that, for the seventh year running, GLS ParcelShops will make sure every child we work with receives a Christmas gift. Thanks to GLS ParcelShops and all those who so generously donate to the Toy Appeal each year, we can make sure the children and families we work with experience the magic of Christmas.” Swen Krüger, MD of GLS Ireland, said: “We are delighted to support the Barnardos Christmas Toy Appeal for the seventh year in a row. The GLS team will travel the length and breadth of the country to ensure that gifts are delivered in time for Christmas. We are thrilled to bring a little magic to the children and families Barnardos works with this Christmas.” Barnardos provides specialised early intervention

and prevention services to over 13,100 children and families in 40 communities across Ireland. Barnardos works with children of all ages, from infants up to teenagers. Some suggestions if you need some help in choosing your gift: • Infants and toddlers: Activity toys, pre-school toys • 3-6 years: Soft toys, action toys, character toys such as Peppa Pig and SpongeBob SquarePants • 7-9 years: Board games, dressing up outfits, books, cars • 10-15 years: Books, jewellery, games, music, toiletries, clothes vouchers We ask that all gifts for the Barnardos Toy Appeal are new and worth about €10, to ensure that all children get something of equal quality. Our supporters GLS are collecting gifts in their ParcelShops all over Ireland and will deliver the gifts to Barnardos in time for Christmas. GLS ParcelShops are located all over Ireland. To find your local GLS ParcelShops visit www.barnardos.ie/toyappeal. If you can't make it to a GLS location, you can choose to give an online gift of any value by visiting www.barnardos.ie

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Wishing all our customers a happy and peaceful Christmas and a prosperous New Year December 9, 2016 | Dungarvan Observer | 9

Dungarvan Shopping Centre, Dungarvan • 058-24650

Jimmy’s top tips for cooking your turkey this Christmas Turkey on the Bone REMOVE the turkey from the fridge 45 minutes before cooking to take the chill off it. Smear the turkey with soft butter, season with salt and freshly ground pepper. Pre-heat the oven to 200°C, 400°F, gas mark 6. Place the turkey in a roasting dish and cover with tin foil. For an 8-10 lb (3.5 - 4.5 kg) turkey: Cook for 30 minutes then reduce the temperature to 180°C, 350°F, gas mark 4 and cook for a further 2 1⁄2 – 3 hours. Then give it a final 30 minutes (uncovered) at 200/400°F, gas mark 6. For a 12-14 lb (5.5 - 6.5 kg) turkey: Cook at for 40 minutes then reduce the temperature to 180°C, 350°F, gas mark 4 and cook for a further 3 - 3 1⁄2 hours. Then give it a final 30 minutes (uncovered) at 200/400°F, gas mark 6. For a 15-20 lb (6.75 - 9 kg) turkey: Cook for 45 minutes then reduce the temperature to 180°C, 350°F, gas mark 4 and cook for a further 4-5 hours. Then give it a final 30 minutes (uncovered) at 200°C, 400°F.

For Turkey Breast REDUCE temperature to 190°C, 375°F, gas mark 5 and roast for 20 minutes per lb (450g). For the final 20 minutes, uncover and increase the heat to 200°C, 400°F, gas mark 6. To tell if the turkey is cooked, pierce the thickest part of the breast with a skewer then press the skewer against the breast to see if the juices run clear without any trace of pink - if the juices are clear, the turkey is cooked. Leave your turkey to rest for around 30 minutes before carving. Put it on a very warm serving plate, cover completely with foil, then cover with a clean tea towel. This allows the juices to settle back into the meat, making the meat moister.

SIZE Allow roughly 375g (13oz) turkey (meat and carcass) per person when calculating what size turkey to buy. COLLECTION & STORAGE Collect your turkey from the Butcher’s Block as close to Christmas as possible, bring it home as quickly as possible and store it in the fridge immediately. Do not leave your turkey in a larder or utility room all meat must be refrigerated properly. Plan your fridge space the night before.

STUFFING The safest way to cook stuffing is outside the bird. But if like many people you prefer to cook it inside the bird, prepare the stuffing just before cooking the bird. Stuff just the neck region, not the cavity. Do not overstuff the bird. Allow extra time for cooking. TYPES OF OVENS No two ovens perform in exactly the same way. Conventional ovens are hotter in the top than the bottom, the temperature set on the dial normally applies to the centre.

Jimmy Burrows and Krzysztof Orzolck, Shop Manager.

Fan ovens spread the heat, top and bottom, keeping an even temperature throughout the oven. A meat thermometer is the best method of ensuring food is cooked to your liking.

They are inexpensive, easy to use and reliable. Also, they work in every oven and every part of an oven. All cooking times are approximate and depend on the type of appliance used.

Butcher’s Block Sausage Meat Stuffing Recipe INGREDIENTS: 1 chopped large onion, 2 crushed cloves garlic, 1lb (450g) Butcher’s Block quality sausage meat, 1 tbsp chopped parsley, 2 tbsp chopped sage, 1oz fresh white breadcrumbs, salt and freshly ground black pepper 1. Mix all the ingredients. 2. Either roll into balls or cook in a greased ovenproof dish. 3. Bake for 18-20 minutes, or until crisp and golden and the sausage meat is completely cooked through.

Butcher’s Block Homemade Stuffing INGREDIENTS: 450g / 1 lb bread, broken into pieces, 6 tbsp. chopped fresh parsley, 2 tbsp. chopped fresh thyme, 1 medium onion, cut into quarters, salt and black pepper, 4-6 oz butter, softened TO MAKE THE STUFFING Place the bread, parsley, thyme and onion in a food processor. Chop until you have fine breadcrumbs and the onion is finely chopped. Remove to a bowl, season and mix in the butter.

WE ARE NOW TAKING ORDERS FOR CHRISTMAS! 10 | December 9, 2016 | Dungarvan Observer

Early Christmas present for people in Waterford living with Diabetes A REVOLUTIONARY glucose sensing technology is now available in Ireland for the first time. Abbottâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s FreeStyle Libre Flash Glucose Monitoring System means that adults and children (aged 4 years and older), living in Waterford who have Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes can now monitor their diabetes without the pain and hassle of routine finger pricks. A person with diabetes typically selfmonitors their glucose by pricking their fingers to draw a drop of blood that is added to a test strip and inserted into a glucose meter. This needs to be done several times a day to check glucose levels and can be painful. With advice from their healthcare professional, adjustments to insulin, diet and activity levels can then be made to help achieve better glycaemic control. However according to research there is often reluctance from people with diabetes, especially children and adolescents, to perform this task, based in part on the discomfort and pain of finger pricking. Abbottâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s FreeStyle Libre system is designed to change how people with diabetes measure their glucose levels and ultimately achieve better health. The system consists of a small, round sensor â&#x20AC;&#x201C; approximately the size of two stacked 50-cent coins â&#x20AC;&#x201C; worn on the back of the upper arm for up to 14 days. A handheld reader is scanned over the sensor to get a glucose result painlessly in less than one second, without the need to draw blood.

In addition, the FreeStyle Libre system does not require a finger stick test for calibration, whereas other continuous glucose monitoring systems might require two or more calibrations per day. Each scan displays a real-time glucose result, a historical trend and the direction the glucose is heading. The reader holds up to 90 days of data, providing a historical snapshot of glucose levels over time. The Abbott FreeStyle Libre software enables the data to be presented in a user-friendly, visual chart enabling a more productive discussion with healthcare professionals around treatment and any necessary modification to it. Prof. Donal Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Shea, a Consultant Endocrinologist and Physician at St. Vincentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s University Hospital said: The Abbott FreeStyle Libre flash glucose monitoring system is a potential game changer in diabetes management for both patients and healthcare professionals. It provides comprehensive data about sugar levels and insight into patterns that might otherwise be missed, such as night time low sugars. When people with diabetes don't monitor their sugar levels accurately and regularly complications develop over time. The challenge now for individuals with diabetes and the diabetes team they work with will be mature and sensible use of the massive amount of additional information that the FreeStyle Libre system gives us. Then, the comprehensive picture

of glucose levels that the FreeStyle Libre system provides should lead to better diabetes managementâ&#x20AC;?. In the absence of a register of people who have diabetes in Ireland it is impossible to say with complete accuracy how many people are living with diabetes in Ireland. However The International Diabetes Federation Diabetes Atlas (2015) estimated that in 2015 there were 171,800 people in the 20 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 79 age group with diabetes in Ireland and that by 2040 there will be 247,800 people with the condition.3 The Irish CODEIRE study suggested the annual cost of treating diabetes in Ireland is 10% of the annual health budget4. Barbara Scott, Country Manager of Abbott's diabetes care business in Ireland said: â&#x20AC;&#x153;The scientists and engineers at Abbott have developed this most innovative technology to empower people living with diabetes to better manage diabetes. Convenient and discrete monitoring using the FreeStyle Libre system may encourage people with diabetes to check their glucose levels more often, giving them better understanding and control of their diabetes. We are delighted to bring this breakthrough/revolutionary monitoring system to people with diabetes in Ireland.â&#x20AC;? For more information or to order Abbott Freestyle Libre, go to www.freestylelibre.ie

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December 9, 2016 | Dungarvan Observer | 11

Daring Civil War Rescue in Dungarvan

Tom Kelleher, Cappoquin, and Paddy Wylie, Canty, Cappagh, two of the Republican forces who helped to carry out the daring rescue of their comrade, Bill Lennon from Dungarvan Hospital during the Civil War. (Courtesy of Waterford County Museum).

HE moon was far too bright for the mission on which the little group of men were bound, so they had to take to the fields to avoid detection by the soldiers on their nightly patrols. It was the 28th March, 1923, Spy Wednesday and not long before the end of the Civil War and they were attempting a rescue which had been deferred on the two previous nights. The men were all members of a West Waterford Republican Active Service Unit heading for Dungarvan hospital to rescue a wounded comrade and the soldiers they were avoiding were Free State troops on a search and patrol mission after several recent engagements with the IRA. The little group was made up of Eddie Curran, Glenmore; Paddy Wyley, Knockaun, Cappagh; Mick Ryan, Lauragh and Tommy Kelleher, Cappoquin led by Comdt. Paddy Curran

who later went to New York. The story was recorded almost forty years ago by local journalist and photographer, Tom Tobin who spoke to some of those involved and committed it to paper in three instalments of the Cork Weekly Examiner. The man they were hoping to spirit away from the hospital was Bill Lennon from Clashmore who had been wounded in an exchange of fire with Government troops outside Grange Church a few days previously and who faced a serious penalty, perhaps even execution, when he recovered. So, it was vital to get him to a safe house, but it would not be easy as the hospital was surrounded by a twelve feet high wall. However, like the information from a sympathetic ambulance man, they could also expect help from the nurses. A rescue plan had been devised by Eamon Dee and Patsy

12 | December 9, 2016 | Dungarvan Observer

Mulcahy, with Intelligence Officer, Tom Lincoln from Cappoquin and was now being implemented in the hope of successfully spiriting away the wounded Republican. The difficulties of the operation were compounded by the presence of a large group of Free State soldiers billeted in the County Home (another part of the hospital complex) and two soldiers on guard at the door of the ward. Adding further to their difficulties was the presence of a British Officer in a nearby ward. However, a co-operative nurse had somehow drugged the guards and the officer, taking care of one very immediate problem. With them, the men brought two ladders, one to scale the wall and the second to enter the hospital on the first floor where Bill Lennon lay helpless. The group encountered some difficulty at the wall as the ladder

was somewhat short, however, resourceful as they were, this did not delay them long. They dropped down inside taking the second ladder with them. Arriving at the building, all was quiet and Tom Kelleher was detailed to guard the entrance to the ground floor while Comdt. Curran, Paddy Wylie and Mick Ryan went upstairs. As they moved through the dimly lit ward, some of the men there became restless and almost attracted unwelcome attention. However, they settled down when they were told what was going on. Moving on they passed another Dungarvan man, Paddy Ormond who was also seriously wounded. When they woke Bill Lennon, he could scarcely believe who was there. He thought his rescuers had been captured. However, he quickly woke up to the situation and marvelled aloud that he did not think himself sufficiently important for his comrades to take such a risk. Realising the situation, he thought no further than getting out into the grounds where, if detected, they could put up a good fight before going down. “I will never realise how they managed to get away with it,” Bill told Tom Tobin, even though I was the man facing the firing squad. All through my life I have never forgotten the rescue and to the day I die, I can never forget each and every one who helped to make it a success.” They wrapped blankets around the wounded man and, with some difficulty, Comdt. Curran and Mick Ryan took him out of the ward, down the narrow stairs, through the lower ward and across the grounds to the wall. Paddy Wylie stayed behind on guard in the upstairs ward, while Tommy Kelleher guarded below. They anxiously awaited the ‘all-clear’ to make their getaway too. It was even more difficult to

scale the wall via the ladder with their heavy bundle, but with difficulty and without complaint from Bill Lennon, the scrambled over and down the outside ladder where Tom Keniry was waiting to help and Larry Fraher stood by with a stretcher. It was only a little less difficult to get the wounded man away to a safe house. From the Hospital to the bottom of the Sweep, it was the four rescuers, Curran, Wylie, Kelleher and Ryan who took turns with the stretcher. When they arrived at Towler’s Glen, a deep cut in the Sweep Hill, it was decided that Paddy Wylie and Mick Ryan should go ahead and finalise arrangements for getting the wounded man away. Meanwhile, Comdt. Curran and Tom Kelleher struggled up the hill and across rough terrain to reach the Towler home. There they rested briefly, were fed and quickly they got on a pony and cart, driven by Willie Towler. He carried them and the wounded man to the Murphy homestead in Old Parish, where proper medical care and nursing would be available. Having deposited the wounded Bill Lennon, the rescuers were taken through the countryside by some people of Old Parish who knew the territory well, to the Drumhills. Capable of being identified, the rescuers had now become wanted men and could not return home. So, they ‘went on the run’ for the rest of the Civil War. The sad and bitter conflict effectively came to an end on 24th May, 1923, but the reverberations of that troubled era were to continue in diminishing strength for many decades. Remembered to was that daring rescue which may well have cheated the firing squad of another victim.

On Christmas Day, our Childline volunteers will answer over 1,100 calls from children in distress

LAST Christmas day, Childline received 1,176 calls from children in distress. Children scared, neglected, sad, or lonely. Christmas day is just another day for so many children all over Ireland, which is why we’re here for children all day, every day. Every year, the incredible Childline volunteers give up their Christmas. They sacrifice their time with loved ones, so that they can be there for so many children who need our help. Letting a child know

that there is somebody who wants to listen, someone who cares, can make all the difference. Children call Childline for a number of reasons on Christmas Day. Some are lonely and just need someone who will listen to them, children like Anna* who woke up on Christmas Day to find there were no presents under the tree. Anna knows her mum and dad would have liked her to have a nice Christmas. But today she is

Happy Christmas from all at The Language People!

CLASSES IN THE NEW YEAR Adult Classes: English - Spanish French - German - Italian - Irish Secondary School children: 1-1 and small groups for all School Classes Contact: THE LANGUAGE PEOPLE 4 Shandon Street, Dungarvan, Co. Waterford, Ireland dungarvanlanguagepeople@gmail.com Tel. (087) 9753783

afraid of what will happen when they wake up. Will dad be angry if she gets in his way again? Will mum be crying? Will there be dinner? Maybe Santa will still come. Childline, and these children, need your help to continue answering calls like those from Anna. This year, the ISPCC has a number of different ways you can support and donate to our services. We will have our Holly Pins on sale across the country, while our Christmas baubles, launched by Laura Woods, are the perfect way to donate to the ISPCC in lieu of gifts. Our colourful festive baubles are available in denominations of €10, €20 or €50 and will be posted directly to you. The online shop will also have Christmas cards and Santa letters available. For a small amount, you can make sure that we are there to answer every call on Christmas Day – and every day.You can find more details for the ISPCC shop here at https://www.ispcc.ie/files/Ch ristmas-Shop/.You can also donate by logging on to ispcc.ie/donate.Your donation will be part of every call and text we answer. Childline volunteer, Jenny Nolan, said: “My memories of Christmas as a child have always been of family, happiness and joy. It is very hard to leave my own family on Christmas Day while they are all enjoying games, fun and laughter. But when I think that I may be one of the only listening ears for a child in need, I feel privileged to be a part of that child’s Christmas – a child who may not share in the happiness and joy that I go home to after my shift.” ISPCC Chief Executive, Grainia Long, stated: “Christmas should mean safety, warmth and happiness, but for many children that call our Childline service, this isn’t the reality. Our Childline volunteers won’t be home at Christmas, they will be in our Childline units, all around the country, taking calls from over 1,100 distressed children who need someone to talk to. The ISPCC is calling on the public to support our Christmas shop and help volunteers continue to have conversations with children, not just on Christmas Day but 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. “Never give up on a child. Ever.You can help us try keep that promise.”

CHRISTMAS OPENING TIMES Monday 19th to Wednesday, 21st December Friday, 30th December, 9.30 a.m. – 6.00 p.m. 9.30 a.m. – 5.45 p.m. Saturday, 31st December, 9.00 a.m. – 3.30 p.m. Thursday, 22nd December, 9.30 a.m. – 6.00 p.m. Sunday 1st – 2nd of January CLOSED Friday, 23rd December, 9.00 a.m. – 7.00 p.m. Tuesday 3rd and onwards Saturday, 24th December, 9.00 a.m. – 3.00 p.m. NORMAL OPENING HOURS Sunday 25th to 27th December CLOSED CLASSIC GENTS WOULD LIKE Wednesday, 28th – 29th December TO WISH ALL THE HAPPIEST 9.30 a.m. – 5.45 p.m. OF HOLIDAYS

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38 O’CONNELL STREET, DUNGARVAN Tel. 058-41590 email: bobtroyandco@gmail.com December 9, 2016 | Dungarvan Observer | 13

Fr. Victor Power, Curate and community leader

Fr. Victor Power and Liam O Miadhachain, An Rinn, pictured at Helvick Pier with the old boathouse in the background. (Courtesy of Waterford County Museum). By Tom Keith

HERE are many differences in the Ireland of today to that of sixty years ago, not least the role of the clergy in rural parishes. This was a topic of discussion earlier this year when I bumped into Pádraig O Mathuna, or P.J. O’Mahony from Coolroe, Old Parish and shortly the discussion got around to life in Ring and Old Parish when he was a young man. The arrival of a young and energetic Curate by the name of Fr.Victor Power in 1957, a couple of years after his ordination, changed the social landscape considerably, as he threw himself into his pastoral duties and looked to improve the social life of his parishioners as well. Originally from Kilrossanty, but reared in Dublin, Fr.Victor was ordained in 1954 after his studies in St. John’s College, Waterford. After that he served some time in a Parish in England, followed by a spell in Dunhill / Fenor before coming

to the Gaeltacht parish of Ring / Old Parish. Fr. Power did not have much Irish when he arrived in the Gaeltacht but he soon recognised the importance of the language and quickly mastered it. “At that time we were practising a play in the school in Old Parish,” says P.J. “and we were not doing too well. We heard that the new curate was interested in drama, so we invited him to come to our next practice. All present were struck by his vigour, energy and enthusiasm. Soon, the group that was barely hanging in there, got a new lease of life. “The drama group thrived under Fr.Victor’s inspiration,” says P.J. “and so many came to take part, we had to put on a second play. We had no hall then so we put on our plays in the local school at the weekend, which involved a great deal of moving of furniture and borrowing chairs from wherever we could get them. There was no electricity either, so we had to use Tilley lamps with paraffin oil.”

14 | December 9, 2016 | Dungarvan Observer

We competed in a drama festival in Coachford, winning several awards and Fr.Victor wrote plays for our group for which he won prizes at the Oireachtas for at least two of them. “Our next outing was to the Oireachtas, the annual festival of Irish drama and culture which was staged in the Damer theatre in Dublin. We got no prize and were lucky we didn't make headlines for all the wrong reasons. In the play a lantern was used to light the way, however we didn't use the correct type which consisted of a candle within a box which had a glass front, instead Victor had spotted an old paraffin oil lamp hanging in my home and there and then decided that we should use it. All went well ’til we were leaving the stage and the lamp slipped from my hand, the oil spilled out and caught fire, luckily we managed to quench the flames before they reached the curtains which were close by. Narrow escape!! “After a few years he decided we should have a drama festival in Ring/Old Parish. It was held in the late ’50s in the week after Easter. Groups whom we met on the circuit and who came from places as far away as Limerick, Kerry, Connemara, Dublin, Belfast and other areas came to play. Our festival ran for a few years until eventually it had to yield to the attraction of TV. “Another venture of Fr. Victor’s was the holding of a craft and culture show. This event was held in the hall in Ring. There were competitions in knitting, embroidery, crochet, darning, sewing, etc. On the agricultural side there were displays of beet, turnips, mangolds, sheaves of oats, wheat and barley. There were competitions in story-telling and

poetry. “He roped in the Dungarvan Town Clerk and other public officials as judges. It was a grand affair and, needless to say the show was a resounding success and became annual event for some years.” Victor played a large part in the establishment of Mean Scoil na Rinne, the all-Irish secondary school in a temporary premises. It is thriving now in a new building and with a substantial roll. “Another feather in Victor's cap was his contact with Mayor Richard J. Daley of Chicago who was on a visit to Ireland. Through Victor's endeavours he spent a day visiting Old Parish. There was some speechmaking in Monamean, where his mother's people came from. There were many dignitaries present: the Lord Mayor of Dublin, Ben Briscoe; the Mayor of Waterford and the Chairman and members of Waterford County Council. A monument was unveiled at the site and others have been added since. He visited the church and the old school where he had some refreshments and was entertained with music, song and dance. Old Parish was well rewarded by Mayor Daley as he contributed handsomely to funding for the building of a new church some years later. There is a stained glass window in his memory in the church. “In the 1960s the Government introduced a scheme to supply water to rural areas as most houses in the countryside did not have water on tap at that time. It was decided to make a film showing the advantages of running water in the home especially through group schemes. The film was named "Water Wisdom"and the script was written by his brother Dick and the film was to be shot in Ring/Old Parish.Victor acted

as escort for the film crew and also to get locals to participate as extras. It was shown in cinemas around the country and we enjoyed some fame for a short while. One of his last acts in Ring was to form a fisherman's co-op as prior to that one buyer had a monopoly as a fish buyer. “Fr.Victor spent seven happy years in Ring,” recalls P.J. “He later referred to them as "na blianta órga", the golden years. He accomplished a great deal and enriched the lives of those of us, rural folk, who enjoyed the pleasure of his company, always trying to instill self confidence in us. But in all of that, he never neglected his priestly duties. “After his term in Ring/Old Parish he was transferred to St. Patrick's in Waterford city. He was sad and disappointed at his departure. He did not seem to settle in Waterford and after some time he travelled to the USA. “He spent six years as a speech writer for Mayor Daley in Chicago. He studied for a Master's degree in journalism at Iowa University and, while there he wrote and directed four new plays, one of which, "The Mudnest" took first prize in a competition open to US and Canadian writers. Fr.Victor left the priesthood circa 1971 and married Marybel Killian. He spent a year in Saudi Arabia teaching English at Abdulaziz University in Jedda. He spent the last two years of his life in Bisbee, Arizona, where he taught English and Drama at Cochise College. He visited our area a number of times, he spent a few days with us in the summer of 1987. We were shocked and saddened to get a call only 10 weeks later to say he had died. Go n-deana Dia trocaire air.”

Shopping for Christmas - How about a Grain Store in Africa? IMAGINE receiving the gift of a grain store in Africa, this Christmas? Or how about a certificate to show that a set of farmtools, or a beehive, has being given in your name to a rural poor family to help them to improve their household income. These are just some of the colourful and creative alternative Christmas gifts being offered by leading Irish development charity Gorta-Self

Help Africa in their seasonal ‘Lifetime Gifts’ catalogue, this year. With the countdown to Christmas now well underway, shoppers across Ireland are thinking hard about the presents they might buy for friends and family. Many of Ireland’s leading charities are in the festive gift market, offering shoppers an array of alternative gifts that can be purchased, to deliver a tangible benefit to the people

that their charity is assisting. For the past decade, GortaSelf Help Africa has been offering those interested in contributing to their efforts the chance to buy animals, tools and other equipment that will help to improve the lives of rural poor households in subSaharan Africa. The organisation, which works mainly to support rural poor households to grow more and earn more from their small farms, estimates that Christmas

Ethel Khundi from Kanyama village, Malawi received piglets from Gorta-Self Help Africa two years ago. She is now rearing pigs commercially, and is earning an income to support her young family.

shoppers have contributed several million euros to support its work, since it began promoting Lifetime Gifts. In 2016, its catalogue includes items including piglets (€10), goats (€35) and cows (€50), as well as beehives (€80), farm tools (€100) and systems to assist with the irrigation of vegetable gardens (€250). And for those planning to splurge in the alternative gifts market there’s the chance to construct a grain store in Ethiopia, which is available to purchase from Gorta-Self Help Africa for €10,000. “We’ve had several phone calls asking about our grain store offering,” said head of fundraising Martha Hourican. “People are genuinely shocked when they learn that up to 40% of food that’s grown on small farms in Africa can be lost because people aren’t able to protect the food that they harvest from sun, rain, or from pests. We have already had one grain store purchase, and there are several people who have indicated that they are interested,” she said. ‘Lifetime Gifts’ from GortaSelf Help Africa are available on the charity’s website at www.selfhelpafrica.org, or by contacting (01) 6778880.

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17 O’Connell Street, Dungarvan 058 42059

The ideal gift this Christmas … a Gift Voucher from GER WYLEY SPORTS

WISHING ALL OUR CUSTOMERS A VERY HAPPY CHRISTMAS

December 9, 2016 | Dungarvan Observer | 15

Dungarvan Aglow continues to build on success of previous years HANGING angels, giant snowmen, reindeer and a life size Christmas bauble are just some of the fantastic attractions and dazzling illuminations around town, as part of this year’s Dungarvan Aglow, to celebrate Christmas. The success of this year’s festival was evident on 20th November last, when thousands of people crowded into Grattan Square in festive atmosphere to watch Dungarvan become a beacon of Christmas cheer. Thanks to the hard work of Dungarvan and West Waterford Chamber, Waterford City and County Council, local retailers and lots of energetic people - they all ensured that this year’s Christmas calendar is packed with loads of entertainment and activities right up until 25th December, to entice young and old to Dungarvan to enjoy the Christmas lights and all Dungarvan Aglow has to offer, as well all the great value shopping and the impressive quality of numerous cafes, bars, hotels and restaurants. The Dungarvan Aglow festival featured on RTÉ’s Nationwide last Monday, 5th December, highlighting all the town has to offer for the discerning Christmas shopper.

16 | December 9, 2016 | Dungarvan Observer

If you missed the programme, it is available on RTÉ Player. Check out the webpage www.facebook.com/Christmas-in-Dungarvan for more on Dungarvan Aglow. POSITIVE IMPACT Meanwhile, the Chamber has received a huge amount of positive feedback from local businesses relating to the economic impact of the Dungarvan Aglow festival. Businesses have reported a rise in sales and an increase in staff work hours for the entire Christmas period. Dungarvan is also becoming an increasingly popular retail and social destination for people from outside of the area, such as Clonmel, Youghal, Waterford and Midleton. Visitors have discovered the town’s unique mixture of local independent retailers, great restaurants and eateries, along with high street brands in a compact retail area with competitive parking rates and accessible parking, as well as transport connections. SPIRIT OF CHRISTMAS 2016 Dungarvan Aglow’s ‘Spirit of Christmas’ competition has received phenomenal support over the last few years and this year is no different.

We know that life can be difficult and that some endure much more than others.Yet there are incredible people in our community who always offer a helping hand and lift the spirits of others despite what may be going on in their own lives. So this year let’s give two special Dungarvan/West Waterford families a Dungarvan Christmas experience they will never forget. The search is on for a child aged between 4 and 12 years and an adult over the age of 18 who represents the ‘Spirit of Christmas’ - perhaps they have a parent or sibling with an illness or disability, and are always putting their needs first? Or perhaps they have a challenge or difficulty themselves to overcome with great courage and patience? If you know of someone you believe represents the ‘Spirit of Christmas’ you can nominate that person by emailing dungarvanaglow@gmail.com or private message the Christmas-in-Dungarvan facebook page. The two winning nominations will be given a very special Christmas, with a family gift package of goodies and vouchers worth hundreds of euro.

RESTORATIVE YOGA ;\LZKH` [O ;O\YZKH` [O +,* THE REHEARSAL HUB, WESTGATE BUSINESS PARK ,ZJHWL [OL *OYPZ[THZ THKULZZ ^P[O 9LZ[VYH[P]L Yoga by Candlelight, followed by mulled punch (alcohol free). â&#x201A;Ź8.00. Contact 087 2271286 to book.

DUNGARVAN BRASS BAND CHRISTMAS CONCERT Thursday 15th DEC 8.00pmÂ° ST. AUGUSTINE'S FRIARY CHURCH

THE GRINCH WHO STOLE CHRISTMAS -YPKH` [O +,* WT Saturday 17th DEC 2.00pm TOWN HALL THEATRE, DUNGARVAN Kirby School of Performing Arts. Family favourite, with a true message of Christmas. 9LK\JLK [PJRL[ WYPJL MVY NYV\W IVVRPUNZ HUK kids under 4 go free - tickets from Nude Food, 087 1508928 or Facebook 'Kirby School of Performing Arts'.

A CHILDRENâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S CHRISTMAS WORKSHOP Saturday 17th DEC 11.00am-12.30am 4-12 year olds THE REHEARSAL HUB, WESTGATE BUSINESS PARK Christmas Drama, dance and Christmas decoration crafting with Encore Stage Academy and The Art Pad. Contact 087 6299508 to book.

DUNGARVAN LIONS CLUB MEMORIAL CHRISTMAS TREE Saturday 17th - Wednesday 23rd DEC DUNGARVAN SHOPPING CENTRE

for al Fun mily Fa the

DUNGARVAN BRASS BAND Saturday 17th DEC GRATTAN SQUARE 12.00 noon DUNGARVAN SHOPPING CENTRE 12.45pm Tuesday 20th DEC Evening Performances in Local Estates. Saturday 24th DEC GRATTAN SQUARE 12.00 noon DUNGARVAN SHOPPING CENTRE 12.45pm All subject to conditions, check Facebook for details.

= 2016 =

CHRISTMAS JUMPER PARTY Thursday 22nd DEC THE MOORINGS Prizes for the best jumper and best group of jumpers! This promises to be a fun night with Christmas treats for everyone! The Shellakabookies will be playing on the night.

BREAKFAST WITH SANTA Thursday 22nd DEC 8.00am to 12.00 noon LAWLORS HOTEL Santa and his magical sleigh will be in Lawlors with breakfast and gifts for children. Must be pre booked with Lawlors Hotel.

DUNGARVAN BRASS BAND Sunday 25th DEC 12 Noon Mass :; 4(9@Âť: 7(90:/Â°*/<9*/

Christmas h st IIllumination uminat ons

Creative re Christmas co a n Decoration Co mp Competition Inspired s by Dungarvan T Tyre Centreâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s â&#x20AC;&#x2122; magnificent Tyre e Tree ee last year, this n is i OPEN TO ALL competition B e m ve BUSINESSES - create most inventive d o you uc Christmas decoration can to represent n your business using anything ing an you h have to hand!

Beat the Brrrr

From Sun 20th h Nov

Come and enjoy our unique illuminations, including dazzling pieces in GRATTAN SQUARE, THE PLAZA, DUNGARVAN SHOPPING CENTRE and the surrounding streets, Santaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Sleigh at DUNGARVAN CREDIT UNION, Falling Stars at BANK STUDIOS and our beautiful Christmas trees on the PONTOON casting a cheerful glow over our festivities.

12:45 AM

Sunday, Nov 7

ENJOY A COFFEE E ON US !

Further details available from

FREE TERMS AND CONDITIONS APPLY. REGULAR COFFEE ONLY. 1 VOUCHER PER CUSTOMER. VALID UNTIL 1ST FEBRUARY 2017.

T. 058 45054

E. info@dungarvanchamber.ie Christmas in Dungarvan

BROCHURE SPONSOR

Christmas Art

Kidâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Christmas

& Crafts Exhibition

Colouring Competition

Thurs 17th Nov - Wed 23rd Dec

THE OLD MARKET HOUSE ARTS CENTRE, LOWER MAIN STREET, DUNGARVAN is running its annual Christmas Art and Crafts Exhibition. Original art works and hand crafts on offer to suit all price ranges. Free Admission.

CREATE YOUR VERY OWN CHRISTMAS ELF OR FAIRY with the DUNGARVAN TOURIST OFFICE colouring competition! Pick up your entry form at the Tourist Office and get creative - prizes to be won and all entries will be displayed in the +\UNHY]HU ;V\YPZ[ 6MMPJL >PUKV^

Christmas Duck Hunt

Christmas Kidz Zone on the Plaza

Fri 25th Nov - Wed 21st Dec

COLLECT AN ENTRY FORM from the DUNGARVAN TOURIST OFFICE on Main Street and follow the clues to find the Christmas Ducks hiding in the shop windows of Dungarvan! Find all 16 Ducks, return your form to the Tourist Office and you could win a prize. Suitable for children and families.

DUNGARVAN SHOPPING CENTRE Nov 20th 1.00-6.00pm and December, 10th,11th,17th,18th from 1.00-6.00pm daily

BLACK FRIDAY

Sunday 20th NOV SGC CINEMA, DUNGARVAN Starts at 1.30pm. â&#x201A;Ź5.00 per person

Friday 25th NOV Black Friday entices you to shop with Special Offers and pre-Christmas sales in participating shops and services (this may extend longer than one day).

DUNGARVAN SINGERS CLUB

LINE DANCING

Monday 21st NOV MERRYS GASTRO PUB, will host the Dungarvan Town Pantomime and Oliver Cast for an evening of upbeat songs.

:H[\YKH` [O 56=Â° :H[ [O +,*Â°Â°Â°Â°Â° PLAZA AREA (BANK OF IRELAND) Time 2.00-3.00pm Line Dancing with Dungarvan Christian Fellowship (DCF) Church will entertain with ZVTL ]LY` LUQV`HISL SPUL KHUJPUNÂ°[V WVW\SHY Christmas Carols.

PUBLIC VIDEO Tuesday 22nd NOV 5.00pm onwards GRATTAN SQUARE AND TOWN CENTRE You are invited to feature in the new Christmas video for Dungarvan! Enjoy the illuminations in the town centre while Marc Daly shoots a video to promote Dungarvan Aglow.

SANTA VISITS FLYNNâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S HARDWARE KILRUSH BUSINESS PARK Saturday 26th NOV - 12.00-5.00pm 0pm a, Come take a photo with Santa! Sweets, tea, coffee and mince pies!

Santaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Cabin & Winter Wonderland

â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Elf E f on the Shelfâ&#x20AC;&#x2DC; Selfie h fi Everyone v y knowss the t â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Elf on the Shelf el is Santaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s eyes a e BONNIE THE ELF will b and earss â&#x20AC;&#x201C; this year be returning to watch h over Dungarvan un va in n the h run-up to Ch ma B e shop ho Christmas. Bonnie will be visiting a different o keep an ey in Dungarvan each day, so eye out for her and take you can! The best selfie an ke a selfie fie if y fi shared ha with the â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Christmas Facebook page m in Dungarvanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; u r Fa wi will win a prize.

DUNGARVAN SHOPPING CENTRE every weekend from SATURDAY 26th NOV UNTIL CHRISTMAS and daily from DEC 17th-DEC 23rd

OLD PARISH TURKEY TROT

COUNTRY MARKET

Sunday 27th NOV 12.00 noon Â°4PSL *OHYP[` 9\U VY >HSR meeting at THE MARINE BAR, followed by Afternoon Tea and tour of The Townhouse at BROWNEâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S TOWNHOUSE from 2.30pm. In aid of Camphill Ballytobin.

Friday 9th - 16th - 23rd DEC CAUSEWAY TENNIS CLUB, ABBEYSIDE Christmas cakes, bakes and food, crocheted Christmas toys and clothes, personalised Christmas cards, wood craft and festive wreaths, flowers and plants, all on sale weekly.

LITTLE RED RIDING HOOD

:H[\YKH` [O [O +LJLTILY LAWLORS HOTEL Choose your food and drinks from the stalls. )HUK HUK +1 [PSS SH[L

Thursday 1st - Sunday 4th DEC Thursday 8th - Sunday 11th DEC TOWN HALL THEATRE, DUNGARVAN Tickets on sale in Shane Curran Home *VTWHU` HUK +H]PK >HSZO 6MMPJL :\WWSPLZ

CHRISTMAS MARKET PARTY NIGHTS

MAGICAL CHRISTMAS FUN DAY

Saturday 3rd DEC An incentive by local businesses to promote SPECIAL OFFERS to customers on this Small Business Saturday.

Saturday 10th DEC 10.00am-2.00pm for 4-12 year olds KILRUSH SOCCER CLUB CLUBHOUSE Create Christmas decorations, sing Christmas *HYVSZ HUK SLHYUÂ°*OYPZ[THZ [OLTLK KYHTH HUK dances. â&#x201A;Ź20 with Christmas goodie bag.

COMEDY NIGHT

CHRISTMAS BAUBLE

Saturday 3rd DEC TIME - 8.30pm LAWLORS HOTEL >P[O 7H[YPJR 4J+VUULSS HUK 1VL 9VVUL`

Saturday 10th DEC 4.00-6.00pm GRATTAN SQUARE, DUNGARVAN Family Photos at the Christmas Bauble Come to the new illuminated feature and have a family photo taken with our local WOV[VNYHWOLY .YLH[ MVY H ZLHZVUHS \WKH[L VU your facebook profile! Fee may apply.

SMALL BUSINESS SATURDAY

DRAĂ?OCHT NA NOLLAG 2016

SING-A-LONG TO DISNEYâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;FROZENâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;

Dungarvan

Sunday 4th DEC 3.00pm Christmas Exhibition preview of DraĂocht na 5VSSHN H[ 1VHU *SHUJ` .HSSLY` 9PUN Exhibition runs from 10th-18th of December.

CHRISTMAS BELLS WORKSHOP :\UKH` [O +,* Sunday 18th DEC THE REHEARSAL HUB, WESTGATE BUSINESS PARK Contact 087 2255222 Surround yourself in soothing Tibetan bells and bowls. Switch off from the Christmas rush with a mixture of meditation and sound massage for the brain.

THE OLD MARKET HOUSE ARTS CENTRE

BREAKFAST AT TIFFANYâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S WITH SANTA :H[\YKH` [O [O +LJLTILY 9.30am-12.00noon TIFFANYâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S RESTAURANT Children receive a gift and have their breakfast with Santa. Booking in advance through ;PMMHU`ÂťZ 9LZ[H\YHU[

CHRISTMAS STORY TIME Saturday 10th DEC 11.00am DUNGARVAN LIBRARY

CRAFT FAIR

Thursday 8th DEC 7.00pm LOWER MAIN STREET, DUNGARVAN Annual Christmas Evening. Musical interludes with Lismore Choir. All are welcome.

Sunday 11th DEC 12.00-3.00pm SCOUTS DEN, ABBEYSIDE (IIL`ZPKL .PYS .\PKLZ *YHM[ -HPY -\UKYHPZLY

WLR FM LIONS CLUB CHRISTMAS BREAKFAST APPEAL

Sunday 11th DEC 1.00-5.00pm HALLA POBAL NA RINNE Christmas Market. Lovely local handmade crafts and goodies.

Thursday 8th DEC - 8.00am-10.00am THE SHAMROCK RESTAURANT

AONACH AN PHATRĂ&#x161;IN

December 9, 2016 | Dungarvan Observer | 17

Nature and Poetry By John A. Power THROUGHOUT history, poets have striven to evoke the wonders of nature in their works. In this endeavour our greatest poets have manifestly succeeded and the festive season is an opportune occasion to get reacquainted with some of these masterpieces. Hopefully, these poems will reawaken in us the beauty (or otherwise) which the poet found in nature. Perhaps these poems will bring back memories of an encounter with their subject matter or indeed of our schooldays learning poetry. Let us begin with “To a Skylark” by Percy Bysshe Shelley. Hail to thee, blithe Spirit! Bird thou never wert That from Heaven, or near it Pourest thy full heart In profuse strains of unpremeditated art. The Skylark is a brown cryptic bird, not very colourful but with a fabulous song most often delivered high above us in the sky, the very essence of spring and early Summer.

Nightingale by Fran O'Connell

Skylark by Andrew Malcolm

Staying with songsters, the nightingale has undoubtedly the best song of all European birds. Check out the Nightingale’s song on the internet – it is magnificent in its variations, subtleties, delivery and exuberance. John Keats captures the Nightingale brilliantly in his dark and introspective work “Ode to a Nightingale.” My heart aches, and a drowsy numbness pains My sense, as though of hemlock I had drunk, Or emptied some dull opiate to the drains One minute past, and Lethe-wards had sunk: ‘Tis not through envy of thy happy lot, But being too happy in thine happiness, That thou, light-winged Dryad of the trees, In some melodious plot Of beechen green, and shadows numberless, Singest of summer in full-throated ease.

Alfred, Lord Tennyson beautifully describes the eagle and its habitat in his short but allencompassing poem “The Eagle” He clasps the crag with crooked hands; Close to the sun in lonely lands, Ring’d with the azure world, he stands. The wrinkled sea beneath him crawls; He watches from his mountain walls, And like a thunderbolt he falls.

White-Tailed Eagle by Andrew Malcolm

A poem that instils fear and pity in all of us is “The Snare” by James Stephens in which he relates the drama of the unfortunate rabbit caught in a snare. The rabbit’s terror and panic are palpable. I hear a sudden cry of pain! There is a rabbit in a snare: Now I hear the cry again, But I cannot tell from where.

Rabbit by Fran O'Connell

But I cannot tell from where He is calling out for aid! Crying on the frightened air, Making everything afraid!

Wood Mouse by Éamonn Mac Lochlainn

Most, if not all of us, are familiar with Robert Burns. “To a Mouse” vividly depicts this timid little creature. Wee, sleekit, cowrin, tim’rous beastie, O, what a panic’s in thy breastie! Thou need na start awa sae hasty, Wi’bickering brattle! I wad be laith to rin an’ chase thee, Wi’ murd’ring pattle!

This work is more in the nature of a nursery rhyme than a poem. It concerns the plight of the robin, a bird most fondly associated with Christmas, when the cold wintry wind blows and the home and warmth it finds in the barn. “The north wind doth blow.” Anonymous. The north wind doth blow, And we shall have snow, And what will the Robin do then? Poor thing. He’ll sit in a barn, And keep himself warm, And hide his head under his wing, Poor thing.

Whooper Swan by Andrew Malcolm

Robin by Fran O'Connell

Our own W.B. Yeats in “The Wild Swans at Coole” chronicles the arrival of the wild swans in the Autumn and laments the passing of the years. The swans being wild and migratory, he is undoubtedly describing whooper swans.These swans are also most likely the birds in the ‘Children of Lir’ as the more familiar mute swans are sedentary by nature. The trees are in their Autumn beauty, The woodland paths are dry, Under the October twilight the water Mirrors a still sky; Upon the brimming water among the stones Are nine-and-fifty swans.

In “The Kingfisher” by W.H. Davies, the poet likens the incredibly gorgeous plumage of the Kingfisher to the colours of the rainbow and recalls its lonely domain. It was the Rainbow gave thee birth, And left thee all her lovely hues; And, as her mother’s name was Tears, So runs it in thy blood to choose For haunts the lonely pools, and keep In company with trees that weep.

Kingfisher by Mario Mac Rory

At Christmas time, in the depths of Winter, it is easy to forget that spring is not all that far away and what greater poem to remind us of the beauty and the renewal of Spring than “The Daffodils” by William Wordsworth. I wander’d lonely as a cloud That floats on high o’er vales and hills, When all at once I saw a crowd, A host of golden daffodils, Beside the lake, beneath the trees A Host of Golden Daffodils by Bill Wakeley Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.

Due to space constraints all the above poems are truncated to their first few lines. The full poems are easily accessed on the internet for those wishing to indulge themselves in and enjoy some poetry reading over the Christmas period. Finally, a Happy Christmas and a prosperous New Year to everybody. 18 | December 9, 2016 | Dungarvan Observer

A magical Christmas at the Beach House! CHRISTMAS is certainly a magical time at the Beach House at 65 O’Connell Street in Dungarvan with its Christmas lights, seasonal decorations and largest ever range of gifts! The Beach House which is now in its fifth year, showcases quality art, crafts and gifts lovingly and carefully sourced from well known Irish makers and designers as well as small independent studios and workshops all over the country. The Beach House is also very proud to promote and showcase a large number of quality Waterford produced crafts, books and artworks, every piece being carefully selected. It is also a working studio where Pippa creates and develops her own creative gifts and needle felting artwork. When asked about what makes The Beach House so special, Pippa added: “We take great pride in offering our customers a gorgeous, calm and enticing environment to shop and we love to find quirky, original and really unique gifts for those who are looking for something just that little bit different. We source our gifts not only from established Irish makers such as Foxford and Avoca but from small local studios and workshops, always searching for something unique and exciting

'One of Pippa's needle felting classes in Dublin.' and always focusing on quality, price and choice for our customers. This year we have thousands of luxurious gifts to choose from – knitwear and throws, prints, scented candles, diffusers, ceramics, glass, leather and wooden gifts, hand bound books and stationery gifts, prints and framed artworks. We also have a large selection of Christmas decorations produced by local crafters brought in especially for the festive period”. THE GOOD WISHES RANGE The Beach House is also a working studio where Pippa creates and develops her own gift ideas, one of which is the Good Wishes range of framed gifts. Each quality wooden frame not only contains a

'One of the gifts from The Good Wishes range.'

Christmas has arrived at The Beach House!

beautifully crafted and illustrated poem but also includes free-moving symbolic objects relating to the good wishes – adding a vibrant and unique energy. These gifts are a beautiful way to connect with loved ones for special occasions such as for an engagement, wedding, new baby, retirement or sometimes for no other reason than to simply express Good Wishes! When asked about how the Good Wishes Range came about Pippa explained: “The range came about because I could see the need for a fun, meaningful and well priced gift for special occasions. I love rhyming poetry and I started playing with a few ideas and initially just came up with the general Good Wishes poem. The framed version of this poem with the free-moving objects sold so well that I soon started on ideas for a wedding poem and then for a baby and it just kept developing from there!” This range of gifts is now sold through a number of outlets nationwide and will be promoted again next year at the RDS in Dublin when new additions for New Home and First Holy Communion will be showcased. The Beach House now prints in-house so these Good Wishes gifts can now be quickly personalised for customers with names and dates making the gifts even more special and unique.

These gifts are always available for purchase at The Beach House and can also be purchased on-line at www.thebeachhousegallery.com NEEDLE FELTED ARTWORK AND CLASSES Pippa also creates and sells her needle felted artwork at the Beach House. This year she has exhibited her work at the Botanical Gardens and the RDS in Dublin and she regularly sells her needle felted artwork at galleries and shops around Ireland. She also is often asked to teach needle felting classes and these are planned to start in Dungarvan in the New Year. Anyone interested in classes should contact Pippa at the Beach House on thebeachhousegallery@gmail.com or 0877933931 Pippa is a registered craftworker with the Design and Craft Council of Ireland and a member of Feltmakers Ireland. The Beach House is an absolute must for anyone looking for an inspirational gift and for your convenience there are extended opening hours for Christmas – Monday to Saturday 10–6 p.m. plus Sunday 11th and 18th December 2–5.30 p.m. Gift wrapping, major credit cards accepted, and vouchers are available. Find The Beach House Gallery on Facebook for the latest news.

Pippa, Freya and Ann will always be ready with a welcome!

XMAS Gifts galore at THE BEACH HOUSE

65 O’Connell Street, Dungarvan

www.thebeachhousegallery.com M: 0877933931

DECEMBER opening times Monday - Saturday 10.00 - 6.00 PLUS Sunday 11th + 18th December 2 - 5.30 All Major credit cards accepted, gift wrapping and vouchers available

Wishing all our customers a very Happy Christmas! Bring this to The Beach House DQG«HQWHU«RXU«IUHH«&KULVWPDV«5DIÀH Name:

Mobile:

/LPLWHG«WR«RQH«UDIÀH«HQWU\«SHU«SHUVRQ ««5DIÀH«ZLOO«EH«GUDZQ«7KXUVGD\« QG«'HF« ««7 &¶V«DSSO\

'You will always find a wonderful selection of inspirational gifts.'

December 9, 2016 | Dungarvan Observer | 19

Sports Shop

ALLROUNDER SPORTS

21 Grattan Square Dungarvan 058-42248

CATERING FOR ALL SPORTS – Deposits taken for Christmas – Open every Sunday Stockists of Darts & Skateboards Fitness – Yoga – Pilates equipment Outdoor – Walking Poles – Boots and Accessories Extensive range of Vitorinox Knives, LED Lights & Headlights New colours in WACKY Socks now in Wishing all our customers and friends a ver y Happy Christmas and Prosperous Ne w Ye ar

DUNGARVAN BUSINESS PARK, DUNGARVAN, CO. WATERFORD Tel. 058 43700 Thanking all our customers for your continued support and wishing one and all a joyous and peaceful Christmas and a Prosperous 2017

All kinds of kindness IF animals have a heaven it probably resembles the Déise Animal Sanctuary. It would not coincide with the human approach to Paradise of course. There’s odours and excrement for a start – animals tend to adopt a more casual approach to hygiene. The accommodation might be a bit draughty too – although body heat amongst friends can rescind that – and there would be some decidedly rough looking characters milling about, including a few genres that one would normally either send on their way or avoid completely. But then happiness is circumstantial; and when circumstances amounted to abandonment, assault, terror, emaciation, pain, betrayal, loneliness, hunger, grief and injury, the Déise Animal Sanctuary is indeed Heaven. Love, as humans like to remind each other, is all that matters. The sanctuary is reached by a narrow boreen about two miles from Ballymacarbry village. It embraces 16 acres but the heart of the haven is the farmyard and the adjoining outhouses, which accommodate over 70 creatures of various species. The coterie includes dogs, cats, horses, hens, geese, ducks, owls, rabbits, goats, pigs, turtles, snakes, a parrot, a terrapin and five wild foxes that hang round the perimeter. Here, all that was rejected has been accepted. The saviour and co-founder of this comforting retreat is British-born Pat Edwards, formerly a trading standards officer and head of an animal welfare unit in Britain. Pat, 62, and her design engineer partner Rob, 60, happened upon the disused farm about 12 years ago and, taking surrounded by animals to a new level, live in modest quarters adjoining a cow shed-turned-animal hostel! Originally they nurtured a few strays now and then but now handle up to a thousand animals a year, while some light farming helps to provide a modest income for themselves. Pat 62, is a relaxed, unpretentious individual with a welcoming demeanour and a wry sense of humour. Nonetheless, one senses a strong commitment to her beliefs and a steely determination to defend

Pepsi

20 | December 9, 2016 | Dungarvan Observer

them. “If you don’t like doing something, then get out; just don’t do it”, she explains when asked how she copes with a responsibility that, while fulfilling, is endless. The animals come from everywhere – from pounds, strangers, other welfare organisations, families. They come in singles, pairs and groups and restoring their shattered lives is more than an awesome task; it is a vocation.

Lily

MATERNITY SHED From atop a ditch Trouble, a gazing, grazing goat watches visitors arrive. Beyond him every shed and cranny has a purpose and every animal a name and a story. The sheds are loaded with old furniture, blankets and bulky artefacts, thus offering the ideal environment for privacy and relaxation for the animals. One shed serves as a maternity unit where Carrie, an abandoned lurcher, mothers the nine pups she delivered shortly after being rescued from a Wexford ditch. “Working dogs are particularly vulnerable during the hunting season if they can’t make the grade”, Pat sighs. “But they are placid couch potatoes at heart and make wonderful pets.” Watching from his cage is Herbie, the 40 year-old parrot, whom Pat has had “since an egg.” Nearby, a nine-month old Jack Russell rests contently. His misfortunes led him to neglect in a drain in Ring and he is prone to epileptic fits. In an adjacent infirmary hut, ginger cat Tyson recovers from injuries inflicted by a terrier in Lismore. The space is stacked high with lifesaving remedies and medicines. HEART-WARMING Outside, Nuala the gentle deerhound who craves attention, is now in great health, having been brought to

the sanctuary with a stomach ripped open by a pair of bull mastiffs. Hither and tither hops Princess, the whippet found on the side of the road and whose mangled front leg had to be amputated. Cody, the whippet who arrived with his back legs broken by a trailer, embraces the day by racing back and forth across the yard. Their personalities and bodies returned to health, the unbridled joy and mischief amongst these animals is purely uplifting. Most of Pat’s dogs find new homes but about 30 are permanent residents; some have irreversible behavioural problems that defy domesticity and some simply don’t want to leave. Fergal, another lurcher, has defied three attempts to re-home him, due to ‘severe separation anxiety.’ Watching on, is Hamish, a black Welsh gypsy cob stallion and one of several horses at the centre. “He was brought over from the Welsh hills 18 years ago. “He was running wild with his mother, causing havoc and was due to be shot”, Pat explains. “He loves galloping round the fields here.” Hamish’s best friend and constant companion is Polly, a hen who shares his stable day and night. PIG’S BACK Meanwhile, four important geese stride in line across the yard towards Lucy, the most fortunate pig in Ireland. Lucy fell off the back of a truck, literally, on her way to be slaughtered. Amongst her swine companions is Miss Piggy, a black European wild boar whose partner was shot dead in a forest. She often shares the muck with Wilbur and half a dozen piglets. Wilbur has shed a lifethreatening 18 (yes, eighteen!) stone since being carried into the sanctuary! The feral cats reclining across the higher echelons are mostly the 29 survivors of an atrocious culling crime perpetuated by a group of hurleywielding delinquents in Carrick-onSuir, which prompted a public meeting in the town. The sanctuary captured them and, as with all its animals, neutered them in advance of their new life. CHILDHOOD CONNECTION Candid and sincere, Pat traces her affinity for animals to her childhood when they filled an emotional void created by dysfunctional parenting. One of three illegitimate siblings she found herself semi-ostracised from other children by the social mores of the time and place. “We lived in a caravan and basically I spent a lot of time playing alone in an adjoining

garden shed”, she recalls. Her first dog was a cross-breed called Rex and the family also had a couple of horses. “The animals didn’t prejudge me”, she says frankly. “But I wouldn’t swap my childhood for anything”, she elaborates. “It wasn’t conventional but I was actually very happy”, she smiles, in a revelation that would have social workers tearing up the manual. The animals seem oblivious to their differences and confrontations are rare, notwithstanding an indignant goose seeing off a nosy hound as he tries to sample her food. Here, greyhounds stroll past encaged rabbits and when Pat opens a door to liberate two dozen squawking hens and waddling ducks, nobody turns a hair – or a feather. Perhaps these creatures realise that real danger comes from humans. Some of Pat’s charges are victims of

Geese

unfortunate circumstances – families losing their homes, emigrating or even someone inheriting them reluctantly. Others owe their presence to stupidity. One story recounts a man bringing a healthy dog to the dog pound, claiming he had found it. It soon ended up being re-homed by Pat. A fortnight later the man wanted his dog back, explaining he had left it in the pound in the (mistaken) belief that it would be still there when the family returned from a holiday in

Hamish

Spain! The dog was not returned. CHRISTMAS FOLLY Then there is the rank carelessness of Christmas, when even good people behave, first stupidly and then cruelly. Animals are at Christmas on an emotional impulse, with sparse consideration for the needs, suitability and intricacies aligned with acquiring a living creature and the long term duty of care owed to it. “They will get abandoned to wander, frightened and cold on the country roads, perhaps getting injured by traffic or attacked by other animals”, Pat predicts. “And some will end up here.” SIMPLY EVIL Others arrive through more sinister circumstances. Dog fighting, one of the vilest versions of animal abuse is reportedly common practise in West Waterford and beyond nowadays. It is a testimony supported by Dungarvan pet shop owner Timmy Hyslop and Wexford man Justin Connolly, both of whom provide assistance to Pat in running the sanctuary. Many of the perpetrators are known but evidence needs to be assembled to assure convictions. There is deep concern amongst animal lovers that family dogs and cats are being taken to ‘blood’ the fighting dogs. “A van will drive round and earmark a house with pets by leaving a can or bottle for example, at the entrance”, Pat explains. “A second van will recognise the sign and wait the chance to grab the pet.” Reports now circulate of stolen dogs having their mouths tied shut before being thrown to fighting dogs. One local reportedly recognised that his dog was being held in a Dungarvan house. Gardaí allegedly pleaded that they couldn’t enter the house without proof, so he ‘went it about it his own way’, and retrieved the animal. “Irish law is totally inadequate in protecting animals”, says Pat, explaining that while dog fighting – and gambling on its outcome- is illegal, attending a dog fight is not! For her awareness and refusal to be cowed by criminals, Pat has been threatened that her sanctuary will be burned down. “Animal shelters get that a lot”, she shrugs. “And it’s proof that we are telling the truth.” The luckier animals at the Déise sanctuary get re-homed in due course and anyone adopting an animal from the sanctuary benefits from Pat’s intuition and knowledge of the creature being provided. HELP GREATLY APPRECIATED The sanctuary receives an €8,000

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Christy Parker sees hope, healing and harmony amongst the residents of the Déise Animal Sanctuary in the Nire Valley …

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grant per annum from the Dept. of Agriculture to survive, a small sum when compared to double and treble that given to some more orthodox but less crowded animal welfare centres. The horses alone cost about €2,500 to keep and the facility needs over €300 a week just to cover food costs. It is thus almost totally reliant on contributions and volunteers to survive. Thankfully, there is a regular flow of voluntary helpers, all of whom are interviewed and given on-site training. Donations of all kinds are greatly appreciated, whether money, vouchers, feeding, bedding, farmyard utensils, blankets, beds, pens, cages, shovels, brushes, wheelbarrows, medicines, etc., etc. The sanctuary now also has a discount/charity shop at Friary Street, Dungarvan where such donations can be made. Another alternative, cash-wise, is Pay Pal: info@deiseanimalsanctuary.org. Every cent donated goes directly towards the animals’ needs. Details: Facebook –Deise Animal Sanctuary; website: www.deiseanimalsanctuary.org Tele: 087-3119509. Email: rgrace9096@yahoo.ie

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The Ultimate Christmas Gift Guide

Make Christmas Magical with Mattel’s Top Toys 2016 M

ATTEL presents the ultimate Christmas wish list for fun at Christmas and beyond! Mattel’s hottest toys will create hours of magical play-time experiences; give little ones skills for life with the gift of coding, and watch Barbie soar to new heights! Little ones will love playing out their own super adventures with the first ever super hero action dolls for girls. Entertainment and fun meet technology and innovation with trailblazing toys to suit all ages this Christmas!

character sounds and light up eyes help bring Code-a-pillar to life! Available from Smyths Toys Superstores RRP €68.99 Age 3 – 8 years WWE® Zombie Figure Assortment

Barbie™ Star Light Adventure Flying RC Hoverboard

Get ready because the WWE zombies are coming! Favourite WWE Superstars have now become “undead” and are ready to roam the earth in zombie form! These WWE Zombie-fied Superstar figures feature unique decorations and poses and are frightfully fun to play with and to collect! Choose from eight Zombiefied WWE Superstars including John Cena and The Rock. Collect them all if you dare! Each sold separately, subject to availability. Available from Smyths Toys Superstores RRP € 21.99 each, Age 6+ Bright Beats™ Dance & Move BeatBelle™

Enjoy your own galactic adventure with Barbie’s real, flying remote controlled hoverboard! With four propellers, you can control the out of this world adventure and complete amazing stunts including a 360-degree spin. Help Barbie soar! Available from Smyths Toys Superstores RRP €94.99 Age 8+ Fisher Price® Code-a-Pillar™

Code-a-Pillar inspires little learners to be big thinkers by going further than ABC’s and 123’s, helping foster coding skills like sequencing, problem solving and critical thinking. Through endless combinations with 9 easy-to-connect segments, pre-schoolers use fine motor skills to send Code-apillar on his path. Motorised features including lights, fun

New BeatBelle is the adorable sister of BeatBo with music and lights that encourage baby to get up and move. BeatBelle’s tummy lights-up with bright multi-colours while she dances along to the music. With 3 modes to grow with baby just like her brother BeatBo, she provides hours of fun, music and learning and

22 | December 9, 2016 | Dungarvan Observer

customized Sing-Along mode lets parents and baby record a phrase that BeatBelle will then remix into a song for everyone to dance along to. Available from Smyths Toys Superstores RRP €44.99 9months + Thomas & Friends™ TrackMaster™ Sky High Bridge Jump

Jaws will drop as children watch Thomas complete his most breath taking stunt yet in the TrackMaster Sky-High Bridge Jump from FisherPrice.This train set breaks new ground by taking Thomas off the tracks and sending him soaring over 2 foot through the air, delivering speed, excitement, and motorized action like only TrackMaster train sets can! Inspired by the Thomas & Friends™ film, The Great Race, Sky-High Bridge Jump brings the story to life with fast-paced, flying thrills. Available from Smyths Toys Superstores RRP €136.99 Age 3+ Barbie™ Dancin’ Fun Horse

fect duet! Available from Smyths Toys Superstores RRP €67.99 Age 3+ Bob the Builder™ R/C Super Scoop

the Bat-Signal light up. Fans can capture the Joker by activating the trap door on the landing pad to complete the mission! Available from Smyths Toys Superstores RRP €57.99 Age 3+ Disney Cars Mack Truck Playset

The easy-to-use remote control vehicle lets children send Scoop racing forwards or backwards, and also operates his back bucket for cool digging action. But R/C Super Scoop has another trick in store that’s sure to astonish little builders. With the push of a button, Scoop delivers his sensational “Scoop Stand”, an incredible stunt where Scoop uses his back digger to push himself up onto his front bucket, and then lifts his body straight into the air! For even more hands-on play, kids can use Scoop’s exhaust pipe to manually lift his front bucket and activate exciting lights, sounds, and phrases featuring Bob and Scoop. Available from Smyths Toys Superstores RRP €68.99 Age 3+

Play out your favourite scenes from the popular Disney Cars films with this actionpacked Mack Truck Playset! Mack is not just a Transporter. He proudly carries Lightning McQueen to places far and wide and then parks his mega wheels and opens up to reveal multiple play areas inside, inspired by the films. Available from Smyths Toys Superstores RRP €29.99 Age 3+ Hot Wheels® Ultimate Garage

Imaginext® DC Super Friends™ Super Flight Gotham City™

Barbie doll and her horse can really dance together! Inspired by the movie Barbie & Her Sisters in a Puppy Chase, these two are ready for a beach dance party! The horse plays three different songs, for three different ways that Barbie doll and her horse can get the party started! Recreate favourite scenes from Barbie and her Sisters' newest pet adventure or play out new horseback-riding and dancing stories with Barbie doll and her amazing horse for the per-

How does Batman watch over Gotham City? From the air, of course! Imaginext fans can load Batman into the flight pack and turn the Power Pad to send him flying a full 360 degree around the city looking for trouble! Watch out for the Joker on his elevator as he shoots 4 pies in a row to distract Batman as he tries to break into Wayne Industries through the secret back door. Children can use the secret projectile launcher to stop the Joker in his tracks and watch

Get ready for some awesome racing action with the most epic Hot Wheels garage ever. The Ultimate Garage comes with five Hot Wheels vehicles and a helicopter for lots of adrenaline-fuelled fun! Available from Smyths Toys Superstores RRP €114.99 Age 5+ Barbie™ Ultimate Puppy Mobile

It’s the ultimate puppy mobile! Inspired by the film Barbie and Her Sisters in a Puppy Chase, this Barbie vehicle transforms from a sporty SUV to a pet playground paradise! Lift up the roof of the SUV and pull open its sides to reveal a deluxe island-inspired play

area for the four puppies included! Play spaces include a tikithemed smoothie bar, puppysized beds and a fun feature where one pup can ride down the zipline all the way across the play set to help lift another puppy pal up on a palm tree elevator! Recreate scenes from the exciting pet adventure or tell your own adventurous animal tales! Available from Smyths Toys Superstores RRP €59.99 Age 3+ Barbie™ Rainbow Cove Light Show Princess

Explore the magical world of Dreamtopia with the Barbie Rainbow Cove Light Show Princess doll who comes to life with fun lights and sounds! Available from Smyths Toys Superstores RRP €27.99 Age 3+ Gas Out™

Be the last player to pass Guster the Gas Cloud without him farting and win! Players take turns playing Gas Out Number cards in their hand and pressing Guster as many times as shown. If Guster farts during your turn—you’re out! Special game-changing Gas Out cards like Skip and Reverse keep the player engaged. Includes electronic Guster the Gas Cloud and one deck of Gas Out cards. Hours of giggling fun for the whole family! Available from Smyths Toys Superstores RRP €22.99 Age 5+

Shakespeare was a Catholic! MANY famous names, from numerous professions have come out boldly and brazenly and suggested that William Shakespeare, the 400th Anniversary of whose death is just coming to a close, did not write the works ascribed to him. They make claim, amongst many other claims, that no one of his modest birth and upbringing could have conceived the plots of his thirtyseven plays, or written in such detail about matters in the royal court, including references to a wide variety of disciplines, professions, skills, knowledge of the universe, distant lands and the wide range of subjects into which Shakespeare liberally dipped. It is worth noting that in today’s literary world, to have just two plays live on after your passing, marks the playwright as one of stature. Thirty-seven is an enormous legacy. However, there is another aspect of Shakespeare’s life which has hardly been touched upon in the many treatises on the Immortal Bard’s work, that of the religion he pursued. Shakespeare whose date of birth is 23rd April, the feast day of England's patron, Saint George is to many synonymous with England. In the past fifty years Shakespearean scholars have uncovered intriguing evidence of Shakespeare's Catholicism or, at least, his Catholic roots. Despite the unfriendly, even dangerous, times in which he lived, there is ample evidence that Shakespeare was a Catholic. Much of his work is that of a man ‘profoundly marked by his Catholic heritage’. It is known that Shakespeare’s family were ‘Church Papists’, i.e. outwardly conforming to Protestantism but remaining loyal to the Old Faith. It is felt that the richness of his imagery owes much to the very faith which the England of his day rejected. Shakespeare's witnessing of anti-Catholic persecution must surely have played a part in developing the sympathy and compassion accorded to those oppressed and vilified minorities notably in his plays. He is certainly Catholic in his exploration of the universal suffering engendered by the human condition. Nowhere is this more cataclysmic than in Lear running mad on the heath, a Man of Sorrows. Queen Catherine of

Aragon, a stranger and a woman oppressed by her boorish king is a paragon of dignity. Her ‘Alas, sir, in what have I offended you’ evokes the Reproaches uttered by the suffering servant during the Good Friday Liturgy. Much of this evidence is recorded in an article by Philip Crispin in The Tablet in April 2005. Shakespeare was educated by crypto-Catholics at the local grammar school and would witness the gradual ascendancy and hardening of the Protestant establishment throughout his lifetime. Members of his own family and friends harboured priests, notably those of the Jesuit missions, and were implicated in rebellions and plots. His father, a recusant in later life, was harried by the authorities, the homes of kinsfolk were raided and they were rounded up. A distant relative was executed in the Tower. Another distant kinsman, the poet and Jesuit martyr, St. Robert Southwell who was a one time confessor to Shakespeare’s Catholic patron, the Earl of Southampton, published a letter to his worthy good cousin, W.S. exhorting him to write religious poetry. Benign Friars and ‘old religious men’ encountered in certain plays hark back to the Marian priests gone to ground during Elizabeth's reign. The three lamenting queens in Richard III echo the three Marys who came to Christ’s Tomb on the morning of his resurrection. Shakespeare would have seen them in the mystery plays of his youth. “Here, Shakespeare's incarnational art recycles such traditions as devotion to Our Lady and image veneration”, writes Crispin. “Shakespeare's contemporary Thomas Nashe described a playgoer as ‘being wrapt in contemplation . . . as if the performer had the power to new mould the hearts of spectators’. Yet, Shakespeare was also inspired as much by the Protestant Geneva Bible and godly inwardness as by ‘Romanist’ ritual. Towards the end of his life, Shakespeare bought a Catholic safe house in Blackfriars. Shakespeare's own father had besieged his family to do masses for his soul after his death and pray for his soul in Purgatory in a spiritual Testament (translated from Saint Carlo Borromeo’s

While Chopin, if you have a Minuet, why not play something on our instore piano during the Festive Season – or are you (Rach)maninoff? If we like it, you’ll be Bach!

Nollaig Shona original) which he may well have received from the hands of the Jesuit Robert Persons. The Testament was found hidden in the eaves of Shakespeare's birthplace in 1757. Shakespeare is haunted by the destruction of Catholic practice and tradition so dear to his family and friends. The dissolution of the monasteries is still felt as a raw wound recorded in the lines: “the bare ruined choirs where late the sweet birds sang”. As an actor he was a ‘double-dealing ambidexter’ (to adopt the censorious language of Puritan polemicists): never a single self but a Protean player of many parts able to exist in several environments. The ability to act, to hide one’s true nature and identity, was a crucial attribute in a society becoming ever more paranoid, ever more intolerant of a Catholicism, fatally undermined by a Papal Bull of excommunication and call to treason against Elizabeth I. There is little doubt then, that Shakespeare espoused the Catholic religion, in private and to whatever degree in public. While some people will claim that Shakespeare did not write all of those plays and sonnets, someone had to have and the style suggests it was the one person. Some claim that despite dividing his time between his home in Stratford-upon-Avon and London, a little over 100 miles, - “a situation conducive to correspondence,” there is no letter surviving which is attributed to him. Another states that Shakespeare’s death ‘appears to have been unrecorded in literary circles’ of the time. Yes, Shakespeare and his work are something of an enigma, but until solid proof of his non-existence is produced, then William Shakespeare must get the credit. William passed away on his 52nd birthday, on April 23, 1616 and relinquished the regal immortality of Westminster, by the side of Chaucer, Spenser and Ben Johnson, for undisturbed repose in the chancel of Holy Trinity Church in Stratfordupon-Avon, the town and date on which he was born.

KELLY’S PHARMACY, Abbeyside

HOULIHAN’S MOTOR FACTORS UNIT 4, WESTGATE BUSINESS PARK, SHANDON, DUNGARVAN Phone: 058-42311 CAR PARTS & ACCESSORIES TOOLS & KEY CUTTING We now have a new ignition car key coding machine in stock. Wide range of car keys can now be copied. Parts and accessories for all makes and models of cars and light commercial vehicles. We would like to wish our Customers a Very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year December 9, 2016 | Dungarvan Observer | 23

Dungarvan and the Free Education announcement I RECALL the late John Healy, the former Irish Times Political Correspondent – arguably the best of his time - and a regular member on the panel of the political debates on RTE, saying that the proposal to provide free secondary education for all students was announced in Dungarvan in 1966. Furthermore, he said that as the Minister for Education, Donogh O’Malley stood up to speak on the election platform, the then Taoiseach Seán Lemass took the script from him and struck out the words ‘means-tested’ which meant that the free scheme would be available to all and not just the less well off. The same claim was made by Pat Murphy, a Christian Brother who had taught in Dungarvan in the ’Sixties, who said at a Dungarvan reunion in 2002 that ‘things had improved, especially

when in 1966, Donogh O’Malley announced in the Square in Dungarvan that there would be free secondary education for every boy and girl in Ireland’. However, John Healy, who had been recalling the event years later, probably got his locations confused because the plan for free education was actually unveiled at a Conference of the National Union of Journalists in Dun Laoghaire on Saturday, 10th September, 1966. He was correct in Taoiseach Lemass deleting the offending provision which he did when the then Minister for Education, Donogh O’Malley showed him his script before the speech. Seán O Dubhlaing, in a Masters Dissertation for his Degree in Education at NUI Maynooth in July 1997, wrote that “It is speculated that this vetting occurred on

Thursday and that Lemass whipped through the speech at speed. On page five, there was the crucial paragraph announcing the setting up of universal secondary education which would be subject to a means test. Furthermore, it is alleged that Lemass took his pen and drove it through the means test phrase saying that this is 1966, the fiftieth anniversary of the 1916 Proclamation and that it was time that we started to treat all the children of the Nation equally.” Choosing that September Saturday for the announcement meant that the Minister was hoping for wide coverage in the Sunday papers, the most read of the week. Br. Murphy was closer to the mark, for indeed, the plan to extend free secondary education to the Nation was a central part of the new Minister’s speech to a public meeting in

Grattan Square on Sunday, 27th November, just days before a Waterford By-election to fill the vacancy left by the death of Deputy Teddy Lynch. The free education plan was to be one of the strongest planks on the Government election platform and the Minister for Education was himself coming to speak at the after-Mass meetings in the Square on the Sunday before the election. A platform had been set up in the Square and, by tradition, the Government party (Fianna Fail) spoke first. It was at this stage that Minister O’Malley reiterated his free education proposals and, knowing that Fine Gael had some catching up to do, forecast that they would publish their proposals before the election. He was on the mark, because, on November 28th, Fine Gael

Donogh O’Malley, TD (left), Minister for Education, 1966, and Taoiseach Seán Lemass (right) who made a very significant alteration in the free secondary education initiative.

24 | December 9, 2016 | Dungarvan Observer

published its education proposals. Due to O’Malley’s September 10th speech, interest centred entirely on the proposals regarding free education for the post-primary sector and the other proposals were largely ignored. Fine Gael proposed to “institute a scheme under which almost all secondary schools will be enabled without financial loss to offer free education in most cases, to all children in the school.” All schools would be offered a sharp increase in capitation grants if they agreed to offer free education because the main opposition party announced their plans the following day (Monday). All the heavy artillery had been pulled out by Fianna Fail for the campaign that Sunday as another Minister, Gaelic speaker and former Minister for Education, George Colley was despatched to Ring to do some electioneering there. Meanwhile, Charles Haughey, still Minister for Agriculture after the famous vigil by the National Farmers Association on the steps of the Department of Agriculture which they had occupied for three weeks before Minister Haughey caved in and met the farmers. As it turned out, Fianna Fail’s Fad Brown won the seat by about 700 votes ahead of Eddie Collins for Fine Gael and John Griffin of Labour. The most immediate effect/problem was accommodating the extra 21,000 students at Secondary School rather than the estimated 7,000. The Department of Education invited

tenders for the supply of and erection of 100 prefabs for areas of greatest need. The building grant to secondary schools was increased to 70% with the remaining 30% available as a loan repayable at 15% over 15 years. Harassed school authorities soon found however, that it was almost impossible to get credit facilities from the banks for school buildings due to a ‘credit squeeze’. However, it was announced in June that an extra four million in capital would be available to finance the building of new and the extension of existing post-primary day schools. Half of this amount would be provided from the Exchequer and the other half would be made available jointly by the banks as a special contribution. The important outcome of course, is that Secondary Education greatly expanded as a result of this initiative. Within eight years, the numbers going to Secondary school had doubled, from 124,415 to 245,245, mainly as a result of the free education scheme. It should be remembered too that the country as a whole had become wealthier as a result of economic expansion which would have contributed to the increased numbers. The word education comes from the Latin ‘Educo’ – I lead out. And so, Ireland, assisted by this initiative led many young people out of education twilight and into the light of knowledge, a circumstance which is still helping us today.

Santa Letter

www.c

4 058 23

rews.ie

Santa’s Workshop North Pole Dear Editor It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas… Season’s Greetings to you and all your readers from a very busy workshop here in the North Pole! I would like to remind all the boys and girls to write and post their letters to me as soon as possible. The workshop is very busy with all the elves working really hard to get the gifts ready in time for Christmas Eve. I always look forward to reading letters from the boys and girls in Ireland and I especially like it when they include lots of colourful drawings of Rudolph and Mrs Claus. This is what the boys and girls should do: • Write their letter to me straight away • Put it in an envelope, seal it and address it to ‘Santa Claus, The North Pole’; • Write their own name and full postal address (in very clear handwriting) on the top left-hand corner of the front of the envelope; • Stick a 70c stamp on the top right-hand corner and • Post it in a green An Post post box – that’s important! It’s that easy! My good friends in An Post are helping me to reply to as many children’s letters as possible. I hope you have a magical and peaceful Christmas. Very best wishes SANTA P.S. Rudolph’s nose is getting brighter by the day with excitement!

27A Church Street, Dungarvan, Co. Waterford Crew's Restaurant and Accommodation would like to wish all our customers a Happy Christmas and a Prosperous New Year. THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR CONTINUED CUSTOM.

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The Country Store

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Locally made W R E AT H S & S WA G S available We wish all our customers and friends a very happy Christmas and prosperous New Year

Date: To: From: Amount: Signed:

ȨȘɜ XɄɤȃȣȐɑ

The

ɄɤȽɜɑɴ Store

Mitchel Street, Dungarvan, Co. Waterford Telephone: 058 43061 | Website: www.thecountrystore.ie | Email:info@thecountrystore.ie Proprietor: Conor Lannen

EASY PARKING • FREE DELIVERY December 9, 2016 | Dungarvan Observer | 25

To u r d e M u n s t e r € 28 5 k e a r l y Christmas p re s e n t fo r D o w n Sy n d r o m e I re l a n d

Rachel Willoughby, 15, and James Ryan, 13, from the Waterford DSI Branch pictured with Santa Claus at the Tour de Munster 2016 cheque presentation at Clayton Hotel Silver Springs in Cork on Saturday, November 26th. [Diane Cusack]

SINCE its inception 16 years ago, Tour de Munster has gone from strength to strength.This year alone the charity cycle has raised €285,655.37 for its beneficiary, the Munster branches of Down Syndrome Ireland (DSI). This is the 7th successive year that DSI has benefited from the popular charity cycle. This incredible sum was presented to DSI by special guest, cycling legend Sean

Kelly at a special celebratory event attended by cyclists, branch members, and their families at Clayton Hotel Silver Springs in Cork on Saturday, November 26th. This year’s charity cycles saw 120 amateur cyclists travel over 600k through the 6 counties of Munster from August 4th – 7th, supported by friends, family and the scores of DSI volunteers who fundraised along the route. Each cyclist

covered their own expenses, so all funds raised go directly to DSI. Sean Kelly, who is an avid supporter of Tour de Munster once again cycled with the group for the full four days of the Tour, covering an average of 150 km per day through the beautiful towns and villages of Waterford, Tipperary, Limerick, Clare, Kerry and Cork. Since its inception in 2001, Tour de Munster has raised over €2.4 million for its

beneficiaries, with over €1.9 million for DSI alone. Paul Sheridan, who established Tour de Munster, could not be prouder of the Tour and its many participants over the years. Speaking at the cheque presentation, Paul said “Having raised over €2.4 million to date for our various beneficiaries over the last 16 years, we are so proud to have raised an additional €285,655.37 this year, bringing the total

raised for the Munster Branches of DSI to over €1.9 million in the last seven years. “The hard work and dedication from the cyclists and DSI volunteers has been truly incredible, and I am so proud of all involved on having raised this staggering sum for DSI. We are very grateful to the many companies and the public who have supported the Tour in the past 16 years, in particular this year’s main

Sean Kelly pictured with Sandra Willoughby; James Ryan, 13; Conor Ryan; Paul Sheridan, Tour de Munster; Kasha Flynn, 15; Rachel Willoughby, 15, and Jacqui Burke from the Waterford DSI Branch, at the Tour de Munster 2016 cheque presentation at Clayton Hotel Silver Springs in Cork on Saturday, November 26th. This year’s Tour de Munster charity cycle from August 4th – 7th raised €285,655.37 for the Munster branches of Down Syndrome Ireland. [Diane Cusack]

26 | December 9, 2016 | Dungarvan Observer

sponsor, Nightline Delivers, who year after year join us on our epic journey. For all involved in Tour de Munster, it’s wonderful to see the great work being carried out by DSI’s Munster branches, and the many families whose lives are improved as a result of these branches.” Each branch in Munster will receive a share of the money raised to fund services for people with Down Syndrome.Thanking all those who supported Tour de Munster this year, Phil Keohane, Tour de Munster Branch Liaison Officer, and cycle participant said “Tour de Munster has been an amazing experience for everyone in Down Syndrome Ireland. I’d like to thank all involved for their incredible dedication and hard work. DSI families, staff, and the DSI community will be forever in your debt. The tremendous fundraising work and awareness campaign improves the lives of so many Munster families, and this is what makes Tour de Munster so special.” Special thanks was also given to this year’s media partners -Irish Examiner, Clare FM, Tipp FM, Red FM and WLR FM. For more information on Tour de Munster and DSI log onto to www.tourdemunster.com and www.downsyndrome.ie or view a special short documentary film at https://youtu.be/e3x9YlIoRU.

Sweet Sixteen The Year: 1960 The Place: A lodging house in North London The Date: Twenty Fourth of December The Time: Around midnight

By John Daly A YOUTH of nineteen years of age lay shivering beneath a couple of threadbare blankets in an upstairs bedroom that faced out on to the cold wet night-time street. The room was icy cold.There was no heating of any kind. Here and there the wallpaper was peeling off the walls with dampness. There was practically no furniture except for the five other beds that occupied the bleak, bare, cheerless room. Each of the beds bore a burden of human flotsam. All were the rejects of society. Some by careless choice, others by cruel circumstance. The fickle whim of fate had done none of them any favours. Judging by the grunts, groans and other incoherent mutters that emanted from the other beds, the young man surmised that everyone except himself was asleep. He couldn’t sleep. His mind was turmoil of conflicting emotions. Like the others, he had been drinking for most of the day and his brain was clouded in an alcoholic fog. He had never felt so tired, but the blessed oblivion of sleep still eluded him. Ghostly sepia-tinted pictures of other Christmases invaded his troubled mind. He could see the blazing spark-spitting log fire in the hearth at home. He could see his younger brothers and sisters gathered rounds its comforting warmth, wide-eyed with happiness and anticipation of the festivities to come. The prospect of being allowed to stay up to go to midnight mass, and the stockings hanging at the end of the bed that would be filled with the hoped-for little presents that were asked for in childishly worded letters weeks previously, added to the magic that was Christmas. He could see the blue willow patterned delph on the big old dresser sparkling and winking in the firelight. And he could see the coloured paper streamers stretched across the kitchen ceiling with dark green, red-berried holly behind every picture on the wall, that gave the kitchen the appearance of an Aladdin’s Cave with an air of joy and joviality that was special to Christmas time. He could see the big barm brack that wouldn’t be cut until after midnight mass waiting invitingly on the table, and the neighbours calling to say Happy Christmas. He could see the sons and daughters and husbands who had come home for a few brief happy days from their enforced exile. He could see their unrestrained merriment and joviality as if something wonderful was about to happen. And above all the magic of being among your own people, in your own home, where the trials and troubles of life were faced together. Where you were loved. But those times seemed so long ago. They seemed to be the memories of someone else, to which he was only an observer. Loneliness enveloped him in its cruel embrace. He still couldn’t sleep! As he turned and twisted in a vain effort to get comfortable, he slowly became aware of someone singing somewhere in the distance. He was surprised that anyone should be out and about so late on Christmas night. As he lay there in the darkness, he realised the singing was coming nearer. He arose groggily from the bed and sat by the window, pulling the threadbare blankets around him for the meagre warmth they provided. Wiping frost from the window pane, he looked out onto the street. An old man stood swaying in the pool of light that was spilled by the overhead street lamp onto the pavement.The old man was obviously very drunk.The boy could hear him quite clearly now through the thin glass and the badly fitting sash of the window as he resumed his song: “When first I saw the love light in your eyes, I thought the world held nought but joy for me, And even though we’ve drifted far apart, I never dreamed but what I dream of thee. I love you, as I never loved before, Since first I saw you on the village green, Come to me ‘ere my dreams of love ‘oer, I love you as I loved you, when you were sweet, When you were sweet sixteen” The old man stopped singing and began to talk to himself as he tried to fill his pipe. His cold unco-operative fingers making the timeworn familiar task almost impossible. “I wonder how they are at home, or do they even think of me anymore?” he mused. “And sure, if they don’t, who could blame them. When they needed me and depended on me I was found wanting. I let them

down, God forgive me. How could I have been so weak and so blind, I couldn’t see what was happening to me? It was the cursed drink that clouded every good intention I ever had. Six months, six months, I intended to come over here for. Just to earn a bit of money for when the child would be born. The child we both wanted so much. Ah, the plans and dreams we had for that little one. We swore a child of ours would never have to strive and slave to eke out a bare existence on a few stony, hungry acres like we had to do. But what’s the use in talking? What’s done is done and the fault is all mine. I never went home again and my poor wife never again saw her husband and the child never saw his father. Not an hour passed in the last forty years that they weren’t on my mind. But! It’s too late now to make amends. I ruined the lives of those I loved the most, as well as my own. Once the drink took hold, I was no use to myself or to anyone else. God be good to those at home this holy Christmas night, sure they’re better off without me.” The pipe was now filled to his satisfaction and the tobacco was glowing in the bowl. The old man resumed his meandering way up the street, and between short puffs of his pipe resumed his song.

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“I dreamt last night, I held your hand in mine, And once again you were my happy bride, I kissed you as I did in Old Lang Syne, As from the church we wandered side by side. I love you as I never loved before, Since first I saw you on the village green, Come to me ‘ere my dreams of love are ‘oer, I love you as I loved you, when you were sweet, When you were sweet sixteen.” The young man sitting by the window watched him as he staggered from one pool of light to the next until eventually he could see him no more. The boy stayed sitting by the window for a long time after the old man had gone. He didn’t feel quite so drunk anymore. His mind seemed to be a lot clearer now. He realised he felt a profound sense of loss at the old man’s going. He wanted to talk to him. He wanted to listen to his story. He wanted to be his friend; to make everything right for him. But he knew that wasn’t possible. Like ships that pass in the night, he would probably never see the old man again and that filled him with a deep sadness and sense of loss. Eventually, pulling the blankets around him trying to extract some warmth from their feeble fibres, he lay down again. Sleep still eluded him, but now it was the old man who sang “Sweet Sixteen” and who talked to his own people whom he hadn’t seen for forty years that filled his mind. He couldn’t help wondering where the old man was going so late of a Christmas night, or where he had come from, or was there, in fact, anyone at home who still remembered him after all that length of time. His last coherent thought before he drifted off into an uneasy sleep was “that old man was probably just like me forty years ago, and I could be like that old man in forty years time.” Christmas passed. The young man went back to the building sites and the tunnels, to the pubs and the dosshouses and the craic, where life took on a rosy glow when viewed through the bottom of a glass.Where you lived for today and the devil take tomorrow. As the weeks and months passed, a strange thing happened. He began to think more and more about the old man who drifted into and out of his life on the lonely Christmas night. More and more, he found himself quietly singing the song the old man had sung, and more and more he could hear the plaintive cry from a broken heart, “do they even think of me anymore?” And more and more he realised that “There but for the grace of God, go I”. Gradually as time passed, the young man frequented the pub less and less often until eventually he stopped going altogether. He had been intermittently writing bits and pieces of prose and poetry over the years as a pass-time. But now, he became determined to learn the writer’s craft properly, and if possible, make a career of it. When the opportunity presented itself, he applied for, and gained employment as a journalist with the local newspaper at home. He returned to Ireland and in the fullness of time married his childhood sweetheart. And there in the peace and contentment of a happy home, raised the children who lit a lamp of love in his heart that never went out. The old man who stopped to light his pipe and who sang “Sweet Sixteen” to a cold, wet, empty street while being unknowingly watched from the upstairs window of a dilapidated lodging house in North London on that lonely Christmas night in nineteen sixty, had cast a very long shadow.

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Christmas remembered. Placing the Holy Infant in the Crib in Grattan Square, Christmas Eve, 2011.

The traditions of the 8th December By Tom Keith THE 8th December, the Feast of the Immaculate Conception is a very significant day in the Irish calendar, though its significance to the Irish public as a Christian Feast has waned somewhat over the past few years. The designation of the 8th December as a Holy Day by Papal Decree dates back to 1708. The Immaculate Conception is also the Patronal Feast Day of Argentina, Brazil, Korea, Nicaragua, Paraguay, Philippines, Spain, the United States and Uruguay. Traditionally the start of the Christmas shopping season in Ireland, it brought crowds of hopefuls to Dublin from rural parts of Ireland, looking for bargains and to commence, if not conclude their Christmas shopping. ‘Farmers day out’ is probably how the Dubs would have styled it and they would not have been far out in that respect. The more disparaging among them used to refer to it as ‘Culchie’s day out’, probably with a degree of envy at the enjoyment and sheer delight the visitors got from their annual excursion. But it was a red letter day on the rural calendar and the jokes and jibes among Dubliners are legion. One of the counter jokes from another red

letter day of those years asks what you call a person in Dublin holding the Sam Maguire Cup? A Kerry man of course! For children, it was a day off from school because it was a Holy Day. (Add on ‘of obligation’ if you reach back far enough). But now, since the arrival of our ‘inclusive’ society, everyone reports in to the classroom for what is a normal day. Few enough people feel obligated to go to Church and even the Public Service who enjoyed a day off on Holy Days, have for decades now been reporting for work too. While the farmers may have gone to Dublin, many families around the country also stuck with the tradition and put up the tree and Christmas decorations that day. These would not come down until after the 6th January, the Feast of the Epiphany, which is also the last day that the Christmas illuminations are lit in Dungarvan. My own personal memory of the 8th December goes back to 1966, my first year in Dungarvan half a century ago. There were two Christmas trees in Grattan Square back then, lit with a couple of strings of coloured bulbs of the domestic variety. Traditionally, they were switched on on the 8th December augmented by similar decorations on the frontage of individual shops.

28 | December 9, 2016 | Dungarvan Observer

Then the newly formed Traders Association decided that there should be a more elaborate lighting system and strings of coloured bulbs were strung across the streets. There was a hiccup one year in the mid-seventies when, for various reasons, including financial, no Christmas lights were put up and it proved to be the dreariest Christmas ever and one of the least successful commercially. However, since then, the decorations have improved by leaps and bounds, to become what they are now, the unique attraction and selling point of Dungarvan on a commercial basis. The business interests are now very effectively catered for by the Chamber of Commerce allied with Waterford Council. For nigh on twenty years, I had a hand in getting ready for the annual switch-on and, despite frost, wind and rain on occasions, and a gale on one particularly memorable and disturbing occasion, the event passed off successfully and became a landmark date in Grattan Square. It even progressed over the years with the stage and lights becoming a l little more decorative and eventually, the Mad Hatter to get people in the mood. Now, the event has been raised to a new plateau with attractive decorations stretching from Abbeyside via Walton Park and the Shopping Centre to the very heart of the town

in Grattan Square. Returning to the 8th December, there was usually a dance in the CSM Ballroom in Clonea, the site of which is now occupied by the swimming pool of Clonea Strand Hotel. For years the dance was run by Ballinameela Macra na Feirme whose event, along with their Annual Social, were regarded as the most enjoyable their kind. Everyone went to ‘Ballinameela Macra’ events! That year, so did I. The band of choice happened to be The Pat Burke Seven who will be remembered here by many who danced to his music in Clonea, the Town Hall and various marquees for decades. As we were both from Cahir, I travelled back to Dungarvan with them as I had been home for the non-working Church Holy Day. We had High Tea in the dimly lit dining room of the hotel where we were the only occupants and afterwards set up the equipment for the dance. There I met a young lady of my (slightly) previous acquaintance who turned out to be my dance partner for the rest of the evening. Not sure whether we shared a bottle of ‘Fanata’ or not, but it did start my first romance which lasted into the Summer. But alas, like Frank Sinatra’s Summer Wind, she too blew away into the setting sun!

Weave wishes this Christmas with Make-AWish Ireland The Knit for Wishes Kit hits Irish shelves just in time for the festive season KNITTING enthusiasts rejoice! Following the phenomenal success of last year’s Knit for Wishes Kit, Make-A-Wish Ireland continues their popular tradition and the gift with a conscience is back on Irish shelves this Christmas. All proceeds help to grant more wishes and make lasting family memories for children with life-threatening illnesses. Available in Kilkenny Shop, Magee of Donegal and online at MakeAWish.ie, the kit comprises of the highest Donegal quality yarn, needles and a pattern developed by Anne Behan of Áine Knitwear – the perfect set for both those who are learning to knit for the first time or long-time knitting devotees. The Knit for Wishes Kit contains everything needed to create a luxurious adult scarf or two equally stunning children’s scarves. Each pack contains 200gms of the best quality Soft Donegal Merino Wool, Basix Birch single pointed needles 30cm-5mm, and an inspired pattern design by renowned Irish Designer Anne Behan of Áine Knitwear. Irene Timmins, Head of Fundraising for Make-A-Wish said, “This Christmas people have an opportunity to purchase a wonderful

gift that directly supports Make-A-Wish Ireland, with 100% of the proceeds going directly to the charity. Commenting on the campaign, Marian O’Gorman CEO of Kilkenny Group said, “Kilkenny Shop is thrilled to partner with Make-A-Wish on their ‘Knit for Wishes’ campaign. We are stocking their fantastic scarf knitting kits in selected stores throughout the country. These kits are a fantastic gift idea for Christmas, and you would also be supporting a very worthy charity, so I encourage you all to knit together this Christmas for Make-A-Wish. With the increased interest in wellness activities among adults, knitting offers a relaxing therapy as well as encapsulating the perfect gift for those whose wish is to learn the importance of charitable giving and a new craft. From eight to 88, the Knit for Wishes Kit aims to be Ireland’s most charitable gift this season. The Knit for Wishes Kit can be purchased at Kilkenny Shop, selected knitting shops nationwide and through the Make-A Wish shop on their website, www.makeawish.ie for €24.95 plus postage.

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Helping improve the lives of those in Soweta Slum, Nairobi I WANTED to tell you that our trips are fun, but while we do have a little fun, we also get stuck in, get our hands dirty and do what we can with what we have. This trip along with taking two volunteers Bethany Barrett (18) and Grace O’Donovan (36), was our first trip into Africa, Nairobi, Kenya to be exact.... The place is called Soweto Slum. It is a slum area in Nairobi near the International Airport. It’s not nearly as big as the world famous, largest slum in the world, called Kibera, which is also located in Nairobi. This slum is one of the many forgotten slums in Nairobi, in Kenya. Our connection on the ground there, Evans Olouch, works with widows and orphan children. He has a school in the slum (Great Hope Children Centre), and along with his 8 staff, they are trying to provide free education and a feeding programme to the children of this slum. Before we begin, some in-

Two kids left abandoned in Soweto slum. formation on Soweto. It is about 3 kms in length and 1 km in width. This small area has over 400,000 people living in it. This place is mostly made up of widows and children and single women and children. Prostitution and alcoholism is very high here as well.

Volunteer Bethany Barrett at our centre.

30 | December 9, 2016 | Dungarvan Observer

On entering Soweto Slum, nothing had prepared me for what I was about to see… ..every street is covered with garbage. The stench of human waste fills the air.Young children that should be in school are running around. Not sure the last time white people went in to Soweto, but as soon as we entered we heard the famous word ‘Mzungu’ being shouted from all directions. We visited the school that Evans started. It’s wonderful and he is reaching out to the children of this poor place. Something that is still hard to get my head around is that in the senior class of 11 pupils, four were HIV positive and three were prostitutes….. they age between 12 and 14 years old. I must confess I did not believe it when I was told, but walking around the streets later that night confirmed that not only was this true but there are many young girls and boys caught up in this lifestyle… Walking through the slum streets, I saw residents forming queues to use one communal

BBTG and Great Hope Childrens Center Soweto slum. tap. They say it is much better than collecting water from the water pipes that are often cracked and also run through the sewage drains. One of the homes we went to was in complete ruins. The home was made up of metal sheets and it had only one room. When we arrived, the mother was gone to the dump to find food and plastic. She had left her three young children at home to fend for themselves. A quick spur of the moment decision saw us stop at what was presumably the local cash and carry to buy Ugali (cornmeal) for the orphans and widows of Soweto slum. What we bought was enough to feed over 700 people for two days and cost €170 …. (In fact we gave out over 2,000 meals and all cost less than €30 … so it really doesn’t cost a lot)…. Word spread throughout the slum pretty quick and we were overcome by the size of the crowds that turned up. The average size of shack in this area is 10ft x 10ft built with mud walls, a corrugated

tin roof with a dirt or concrete floor. The cost is about KES 700 (€7) per Month. These shacks often house up to 8 or more with many sleeping on the floor. Less than 20% of Soweto has electricity. In most of Soweto there are no toilet facilities. The “flying toilet” used by residents, if no toilet was available they use plastic bags which would then be thrown into the nearest river or even into the street. The lucky residents have one toilet (hole in the ground) which is shared by up to 50 shacks. Once full, young boys are employed to empty the toilet and they take the contents to the river. No formal systems of clean water, sanitation, healthcare or schooling exists because, as far as Governments are concerned, residents are squatters. Feeding programmes alone will not change the slum.Yet, I feel blessed to be mentoring and partnering with Evans at the Great Hope Children’s Centre, the Soweto Mungano One Stone youth group and other groups like this.... these youths have had some serious

struggles in their young lives, from working in prostitution, drug abuse living in Soweto Slum, they have made a choice to transform themselves and the community they live in. Consider giving “Your Change 4 Change” to the work we do. We can make a small amount go a long way. We welcome you all to partner with us, €5/€10 or whatever you can give helps us carry on the work we do in these areas, it helps put a smile on a needy child or family. In the Western World it has become common for many students to take a Gap Year out before or after college. More mature people are also now taking a year out, away from their everyday life. Many could work in Soweto Slum where they would achieve a real sense of doing some good. Soweto Slum is crying out for people to help. Volunteers always welcome to join us on our trips… Call 087.9551227 Ross B Bad Boy Turned Good www.cookservepray.com

Vounteer Grace O’Donovan and Bethany teaching the girls on personal hygiene etc.

A bridge to the Cunnigar – almost

By Tom Keith

MOST of the ‘old stock’ of the town and district will have heard mention of the proposal to build a bridge from Dungarvan or Abbeyside to the Cunnigar. In a recent issue of the Dungarvan Observer, Barbara Grubb of Dromana House wrote of the involvement of Henry Villiers Stewart in the first attempt to provide such a bridge in 1883. "The railway had reached Dungarvan in 1878," Barbara Grubb explains. “In theory, the railway gave fishermen in Ring and Helvick the chance to send their catch by train to new markets in Waterford and Dublin. But sailing across the bay to Dungarvan took them away from the fishing grounds, and sending fish by wagon around by Killongford was a huge diversion. "So Henry backed the idea of a bridge to the Cunnigar to shorten the route into town." "At a Public Meeting, Henry spoke movingly of women and girls at Ring loading baskets of fish from the boats on to wagons for the roundabout journey into Dungarvan. Of course, there was no way they could catch an early train to get the best prices in the Dublin market." The second unsuccessful attempt to open up a route to the Cunnigar via a bridge from Abbeyside, was reported on the front page of the very first edition of The Dungarvan Observer dated Saturday,

February 10th, 1912 and costing One Penny. The Editor writes that: “Perhaps there is no town in Ireland whose prospects at the moment are brighter than those of Dungarvan. Beautifully situated in a commanding position with mountain and valley to lend picturesqueness to the view, Dungarvan stands unrivalled for scenic beauty. Every year it is the rendezvous of thousands of pleasure seekers who delight and revel in its boundless charms. While from the health point of view, few there are indeed, who do not know how popular a resort it is with those who suffer from the ills to which flesh is heir. And, as the days go by, the attractions of the place keep on increasing. Long may it be so.” Not sparing the superlatives, the writer goes on to extol the benefits which the short-cut to the Cunnigar and further on to An Rinn and the fishing harbour at Helvick would bring. “Now, in view of recent developments and present prospects, we have no doubt that in a short time it will be to every Irishman who has an eye to all that is beautiful in nature and in art, what Margate and Ramsgate and Brighton are to the Londoner. Only one thing is required to complete the charms of Dungarvan and that is the construction of a bridge and roadway to the Cunnigar - a project now well on its way to reality. When that is done,

Patrick Kenealy’s magnificent aerial pic shows clearly how close The Lookout or Abbeyside are to The Cunnigar and how easily the gap might be bridged.

nowhere in Ireland will there be more variety of scenery or more facilities for bathing and all other attractions of seasides than here. “With a nicely laid out Golflinks on the peninsula and there is no nicer place in the country or one where more suitable for links – (we speak from experience) - the claims of Dungarvan as the Premier seaside resort of Ireland would be undeniable and irresistible.” To fund this venture, the promoters, which included the County Council, looked to a fund which had been provided when the two railways, the Great Southern and Western Railway and the Waterford and Lismore Railway were amalgamated, a fund of £93,000 was earmarked for railway development in the South of Ireland. Some of this was to finance a railway from Fermoy to Cork for which the promoters turned down a grant of £93,000. Waterford Corporation then looked for part of it and were given £33,000 with the help of John Redmond, MP. Then, West Waterford’s MP, J. J. O’Shee, ‘having the interests of his constituents at heart’ decided that West Waterford should have a share and he secured £30,000 from the Treasury for Lismore, as well as the Blackwater, Nire and Bride Rivers. Of the balance, Dungarvan got £15,000 for the construction of a bridge and road to the Cunnigar, on condition that the Council provided a feasible scheme. This was not considered a problem as the members of the Council were ‘broadminded, level headed, keen businessmen who really appreciate what the erection of this bridge will mean to Dungarvan and the fishing industry of Ring at the other end’. The proposed short-cut would cut off four miles for the fishermen and the women who brought their fish to town. Everybody wanted to get their fish to the market at the earliest possible time so, ‘quickness in the handling and dispatching of the fish is of the utmost necessity’. The fishing industry should be supported and backed for all they were worth, they said, as ‘the fisheries are a veritable gold-mine to Ireland if properly worked, but when hampered, as in the case of Ring, what can be done?’ “The result is that Scotch and Manx fleets are able to outclass our people and that is a thing which cannot be

tolerated.” There is no doubt that the value of the short-cut to Ring via a Cunnigar Bridge was understood and accepted by the Council and MPs. However, like the promise of Home Rule, the Dungarvan bridge proposal became a victim of the outbreak of the Great War in Europe and its importance dropped down the list of priorities. There is no suggestion that it was ever raised again as the political climate after World War I changed immeasurably with the emergence of Sinn Féin as the foremost political party.That resulted in the foundation of the First Dail in January 1919 and the outbreak of hostilities that day in a struggle which was later given the title of The War of Independence. In the new Free State, there were many other more pressing calls for finance than a bridge to the Cunnigar and the proposal never again emerged.

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That Old-ish Refrain By Donal Buckley THE very first Christmas I can remember was a cold, clear and still night. I would go so far as to say it was a Silent Night. At that time of the year, a small country Parish had very few occasions for a gathering of its inhabitants. One notable exception, of course, was Midnight Mass on Christmas Eve. It was, after all, a Holy Night. The cows were milked early (back when Daylight Savings Time was a necessity) and those that were receiving communion, skipped supper altogether. There was nothing to do but wait, so, for a while All Is Calm. Then, about an hour before Mass, the people of the Parish started to stir themselves from their individual isolation. Lights were lit, fires

were stoked and those with bicycles engaged their dynamo lamps and across the land, All Is Bright. As we made our way to the church, freshly shaved men, newly hatted women and raw scrubbed children spilled out of every house and boreen. Across the countryside, the foliage bereft landscape was spattered with bobbing lights. From atop the rise over the village, the whole scene resembled hundreds of luminous insects laying siege to an anthill. Soon there would be devout mumblings and exultant renditions of seasonal hymns, all by the glow of the single candle in a modest manger. So beautiful and serene. At least, that's how I remember it. That's the essence of nostalgia, we always remember the best times. Even the bad

32 | December 9, 2016 | Dungarvan Observer

times can seem better when seen through retrospective glasses, and, just sometimes, beer glasses. Every generation hears the previous generation tell tales about Summers of endless sunshine and a happiness that could only occur in the midst of abject poverty. The constant plague of that eternal monotonous phrase, "back in my day..." grates on the nerves and patience of every generation equally. Not every age group will have had the same feelings towards their formative years. The people who left this country in the 1850's to escape the famine will either have had negative feelings towards the land of their birth or a totally fantasised memory of their homeland. A hundred years later, many thousands more left our shores to pursue opportunities that were un-

available to them here. To the present day, Ireland continues to haemorrhage its young people to far away lands. Maybe itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s because of loneliness, homesickness or just whistling in the dark, generations of these young people told stories about Summers of endless sunshine and happiness beyond compare. Being natural storytellers, the Irish will try to outdo each other, and each telling of Ireland's social and political history will become more fantastical. Legends are born and nurtured on foreign shores for the entertainment of the Irish and the total bemusement of the naturalised occupants of their adopted country. Some say that Michael Collins was 7 feet tall and that he combed his hair with a furze bush. Of course, tales of Cuchulainn, The Children of Lir and Na Fianna are all historical fact. Since the dawn of our education system Irish students have been achieving great results in exams without doing 'a scrap of study'. Pubs in the country are struggling because Irish people only ever 'go for the one' drink. As time moves on, progressive generations will have different reasons to look back fondly. My own peer group will remember the glamorous insanity of the 70s. Older people will remember the psychedelic 60's (though many won't remember anything of that time!). While younger people will have fond memories of Duran Duran, Gameboy's, Furbies, (free) plastic carrier bags and smoking in pubs. Of course, all of this stuff is positively antique to those who were born after the Millennium. In decades to come they will remember; The X-Factor, Frozen, Bob Dylan winning the Nobel prize for literature and Kim Jong Un becoming SecretaryGeneral of the United Nations (just joking!...I hope) Nostalgia will always be a skewed version of reality and is enhanced by the fact that we were young, with no responsibilities, no experience and a future without limitations. Every day has its moments. But not every moment will be remembered. Most of the memorable ones will be positive. That's nostalgia. How bad!?!? Groucho Marx said of memorabilia, "I don't have a photograph, but you can have my footprints. They're upstairs in my socks." Seasons Greetings to Everyone and to President elect Trump, Feliz Navidad.

CRIME PREVENTION

Old Market House Arts Centre

Christmas Safety Advice from An Garda Síochána AN Garda Síochána has issued some advice that householders can take to ensure that you have a safe and crimefree Christmas this year. Domestic burglaries have fallen nationally by around 30 percent since the Gardaí launched ‘Operation Thor’ last year. However, during Winter months, householders need to remain vigilant and cautious, as traditionally, burglaries increase during Winter time. Gardaí encourage householders to ‘lock up and light up’ your home whether you are at home or going out, even for a few minutes, always turn on some lights, or use timer switches. Lock all your windows and doors and use an alarm if you have one, even when you are at home. It is also recommended that you store keys away from windows and letter boxes and don’t store large amounts of cash or jewellery in the house. Over Christmas, avoid displaying lots

LOWER MAIN STREET, DUNGARVAN INVITE YOU TO VISIT THEIR

of presents under the tree and avoid leaving empty boxes on view outside the house for waste collection, as it could advertise to criminals what you have inside your home. If you are expecting a parcel, ensure someone is at home to receive it, or ask a neighbour to take it in. Photograph and record details of your valuables. The Gardaí cannot fight crime alone and point out that everyone has a role to play in preventing and reducing crime. Be a good neighbour and report all suspicious activity to the Gardaí. Note any suspicious persons / vehicles in the area and write down the registration number, description of the person / vehicle and contact the Gardaí immediately. For more detailed information on home safety, crime prevention, and personal safety during Christmas, visit www.garda.ie.

IN AN EMERGENCY, CONTACT 999 / 112 Dungarvan Garda Station: 058-48600 Lismore Garda Station: 058-72030 Garda Confidential Line: 1800-666-111 www.garda.ie

Great value parking in the South East’s best shopping town 90 minutes free parking Free parking after 4.00 p.m. EVEN the larger towns and cities in the South East region can’t hold a match to the unrivalled parking value available to shoppers in Dungarvan this festive season. There are 90 minutes FREE parking available at Scanlon’s Yard car park, which is fairly central, with two walkways providing access to all the local shops on Main Street and Mary Street, leading to Grattan Square. Motorists availing of onstreet parking or the other Council-operated car parks can avail of the first half hour FREE parking. It is now compulsory to display a parking ticket in your vehicle, between the hours of 9.00 a.m. and 4.00 p.m., even during the free half hour parking. Simply go to a parking ticket machine located at various points around the town and press the green button, which will dispense a ticket, free of charge, for the first half hour, which must be displayed. For those wishing to park

Annual Christmas Arts & Crafts Exhibition which continues until 23rd December, 2016 Nollaig shona dár a gCustaiméirí go léir. Waterford City & County Council supporting artists and the arts. See www.waterfordcouncil.ie for details of opening hours and special events. Tel. 058/48944

Helen’s Lingerie Boutique 27 O’Connell Street, Dungarvan. Tel. (058) 44193

W h y n o t t r e at yo u r s e l f t o s o m e ex q u i s i t e l i n g e r i e fo r Christmas 2016 Wishing all my customers and friends a Happy Christmas and Prosperous New Year

Scanlon’s Yard car park, where motorists can avail of 90 minutes FREE parking. longer than 30 minutes, you can pay in increments, starting from 30c for 16 minutes, up to the competitive rate of €1.10 for an hour of parking. The free half hour is automatically added to the time on the ticket. Anyone who purchases a ticket after 4.00 p.m. will be credited time for the following morning, which is convenient for people who are socialising on the town that night and wish to leave their car parked until the next day. For shoppers, the parking

facilities offered in Dungarvan are very conducive to a stress free day/night in Dungarvan, so you can browse and shop at your leisure in the many retail outlets, restaurants, markets and stores around town. With plenty to choose from, including the fantastic attractions, entertainment, activities and dazzling illuminations of ‘Dungarvan Aglow’, shoppers will be spoiled for choice, making Christmas shopping in Dungarvan a truly magical, unique and hassle-free experience for all the family.

We at Radio Fence Ltd. would like to wish all our customers and dog lovers a very happy Christmas and New Year WE HAVE LOTS OF IDEAL GIFTS AVAILABLE TOYS, COATS & BEDS We are open 6 days a week, Monday to Friday 9.00 a.m. – 5.30 p.m. and Saturdays from 10.00 a.m. – 5.00 p.m. Call in and see us at Unit 15a, Dungarvan Business Park or call us on 058-44988 All our products are available on www.petsafe.ie

December 9, 2016 | Dungarvan Observer | 33

Muldoon Irish Whiskey Liqueur Menu INSPIRED by Jenny Flynn, award winning Head Chef at Faithlegg House Hotel and Country Club, County Waterford.

MULDOON MELON

Banana and Walnut Cake with Muldoon Salted Butterscotch Sauce.

INGREDIENTS 1 ⁄4 watermelons 1 ⁄4 Galia melon 1 ⁄4 Honeydew melon 2 shots of Muldoon whiskey 6 Limequats (this is a crossing between a lime and a kumquat) Make sure you choose ripe melons Serves 6 people METHOD Peel melons and deseed them cut them to size required. Cut up some Limequats, pour over the Muldoon and cook until fruit has softened. Allow to cool. Bring the melons up to room temperature. Put the limequats in the middle and put melon on top. Add an extra splash of Muldoon to excite the taste buds.

MULDOON PORK BELLY

Muldoon & Melon Irish Whiskey Liqueur.

Muldoon Pork Belly.

34 | December 9, 2016 | Dungarvan Observer

INGREDIENTS 1.3kg centre piece of pork belly (so it will cook evenly) 15g fennel seeds 5g sea salt 100ml olive oil Carrots Celery Onions Garlic cloves with skin on Fresh thyme 150ml Muldoon whiskey Serves 6 people METHOD Turn oven to its highest temperature. Using a knife score the skin down to the meat (try not to cut the meat), make the cuts very close together (go across the skin). Put the fennel seeds and the sea salt in a pestle and mortar and grind till the seeds are smashed and mixed well with the salt. Rub the pork belly with Muldoon whiskey and 1⁄2 the seasoning mix. Cover and allow to marinate overnight. The next day pat the skin side dry, this will help with the crackling. Sprinkle over 1⁄2 of the fennel and salt mixture and rub in, pour over the oil and then the seed and salt mixture, now really rub this into the skin so that everything gets in-between the skin and down onto the meat. Wash the carrots and celery well, cut them into large 2 inch pieces wash the thyme and put these into the base of your roasting dish with the whole garlic bulbs, peel and cut the onions into large wedges. Put the seasoned pork belly on top of the vegetables and then put into your very hot oven for 10-15 minutes or until the skin of the belly starts to bubble and is golden brown. Turn the oven temperature down to 170°C/325°F/gas 3 then roast for 1.5 hours. Carefully open the oven door and add into the tray the Muldoon whiskey, continue cooking for 1 hour. Remove the meat carefully from the oven and test to see if it pulls apart easily. If not put back in the oven until the meat is ready then remove from the oven. Take the meat from the tray and place onto a wooden board and allow to rest. Remove the crackling from the top of the belly and break up into pieces, set aside then pull the pork belly apart and enjoy with more vegetables and your choice of potatoes.

BANANA AND WALNUT CAKE WITH MULDOON SALTED BUTTERSCOTCH SAUCE INGREDIENTS 2 ripe bananas 170g castor sugar 170g self-raising flour 170g butter 3 med eggs 100ml Muldoon whiskey 80g chopped walnut pieces Cuts into 8 – 10 slices METHOD Preheat oven to 160c. In a large bowl cream the sugar and butter together, drop eggs in one at a time and mash the bananas together with 50ml of Muldoon. Add to mix. Flow in the sieved flour. Pour into a lined loaf tin topping with the chopped walnuts and bake for approx. 1 hour. Allow to cool and pour over Muldoon to keep the cake moist.

SALTED BUTTERSCOTCH SAUCE INGREDIENTS 50ml Muldoon whiskey 50g butter 50g golden syrup 50g brown sugar Drop of lemon juice 75ml cream 10g Sea salt METHOD Put the butter, golden syrup and brown sugar in a saucepan. Allow it to caramelize, add lemon juice and cream - please be careful as the cream will boil up straight away and the caramel might spit a little. Now add Muldoon with the salt. The salt will break down in the whiskey so you will have the salt flavour with the sweetness of the Muldoon whiskey - a classic combination. This sauce is lovely over some homemade ice cream. Best thing about it is this sauce will last for weeks in the fridge if it isn’t all eaten of course. ABOUT MULDOON Anchor Spirits is a Waterford based drinks company which produces multi award winning Muldoon Irish Whiskey Liqueur. Launched in 2014, it’s a toffee and hazelnut flavoured whiskey which holds three awards – a Gold Medal from the 2014 Irish Whiskey Awards for best whiskey liqueur, Bronze Blas na hEireann in the Dark Spirits category in 2015 and most recently this year the internationally recognised IWSC (international wines and spirit competition) Silver Medal. Inspired by old Irish recipes, Muldoon has all the benefits of a cream liqueur - indulgence, smoothness and most importantly taste, made with real Irish whiskey, but without the dairy. Muldoon is a very versatile liqueur which can be enjoyed on its own, as part of a cocktail, as a long drink with a mixer, as a warming shot or as a hot whiskey for those cold winter nights. Alternatively, this opulent whiskey liqueur can be added to an array of traditional dishes to add a depth of flavour. Muldoon is a fantastic secret ingredient when it comes to food. From pulled pork and duck dishes to cheesecakes and panna cotta, Muldoon is possibly the most versatile liqueur in the kitchen. http://muldoonwhiskey.com/

Children’s boutique in an old world setting MUIRI K Boutique ~ Styling Children, Dungarvan, is a children's boutique presented in an old world setting. Stocking eclectic collections from across Europe with exclusive labels; Kate Mack, Le Chic, A*Dee, Cakewalk, Mayoral and Tuc Tuc to name a few. Boys and Girls ranges from infants all through

primary school. Muiri K brings to Dungarvan fun and fabulous pieces that combine smarttraditional for boys and fabulous for girls. Now more than ever, it is so important to get lots of wear from your outfits and so Michelle has chosen with this in mind. Pretty but practical is the name of the game, great for the big day out and yet plenty of wear later and with care, pass onto the next little one to enjoy. Now we are in the middle of our Communion Dress season, early yes but necessary as reorders must be made early and in time to arrive for May. We stock the fabulous American designer Joan Calabrese, KoKo, Isabelle and the ever popular Little People. Boys Communion will commence after Christmas with a great range from the Irish company 1880 Club who as is the norm, have their finger on the pulse for boys suits and separates, exciting times ahead! No doubt we will be awash with bow ties again this year. We have a great relationship with social media between both Facebook and Instagram where we feature our collections and welcome your response and conversation. Be sure to like our Page and join in especially if you love style and dressing up the little ones and the not so little ones! So, if you are looking for something that will turn heads and if you enjoy the thrill of hearing "Where did you find that!!" Muiri K's collections will entice you to Dungarvan. Michelle looks forward to meeting with you because “For our

children only the best is good enough”!

Find us on facebook: www.facebook.com/MuiriKBoutique Instagram: Muirikboutique Email: muirikboutique@gmail.com Ph: 058 48843

December 9, 2016 | Dungarvan Observer | 35

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36 | December 9, 2016 | Dungarvan Observer

Irish Racing Yearbook 2017 • Joseph O’Brien relishing new career • Win a share in the Irish Racing Yearbook Racing Club • €625 worth of FREE admission tickets THE way Joseph O’Brien tells it, there was no grand plan, no scorching blueprint for grabbing Irish racing by the lapels and shaking it to the core afresh. It was a perfect storm of circumstances: a jockey whose resolve for the tortuous daily grind of wasting was waning and a grand old yard in County Kilkenny whose potential wasn’t being realised. In terms of pedigree, it was a natural and obvious mating. His licence states he has been a trainer since June 3rd but he has been grafting and plotting, doing the O’Brien thing, for longer than that. He has been coming here off and on - mostly on - since the latter part of 2014. He would ride work at Ballydoyle in the morning and negotiate the 80-minute round trip to Owning, just outside Piltown, in the afternoon. If there was racing, he’d stop by in the evening instead. At first there were around 15 horses, mostly older types, ostensibly acquired for his siblings to ride in bumpers. Then more came. He bought yearlings and stores at the sales. A batch of homebreds arrived from his parent’s nearby stud farm. Fifteen soon became 30. Thirty became 50. Now there are upwards of 150 housed in four separate yards - two more than in his father’s day gathered like the beating chambers of a heart around the main artery of the gallop that dissects them. Former record-breaking jockey Joseph O’Brien talks to his namesake John O’Brien in Irish Racing Yearbook 2017 about how much he is enjoying training and the wonderful successes he has already enjoyed. His name wasn’t on the licence when Ivanovich Gorbatov won the Triumph Hurdle at

Cheltenham last March but everyone knew he was the man responsible. There could be no quibbles when the 23year-old prepared Intricately – bred by his mother Annemarie – to chin his father’s Hyndrangea in the Moyglare Stud Stakes thanks to an inspired ride by 18-yearold brother Donnacha, giving the siblings their first Group 1 success. Joseph talks about those days but also about the future, how he’d like to challenge in both codes, and how he doesn’t miss race-riding. He certainly doesn’t miss the struggle to make weight but it is the sense of total responsibility he gets as trainer that appeals to him most. If that makes him sound like a chip off the old block, it is because he is. And where he is training from, Owning Hill, is steeped in family history. It is where his grandfather Joe had champion chasers and sprinters, where his mother became the first woman to be champion trainer, and where his father claimed a couple of titles too. And now the story continues. Irish Racing Yearbook 2017 offers readers €625 worth of FREE admission tickets to racing tracks around Ireland, as well as the chance to WIN A SHARE IN THE IRISH RACING YEARBOOK RACING CLUB, which includes horses from the yards of leading trainers Tony Martin, Michael O’Callaghan and Joseph Murphy. A further taste… “There’s never a good time to say goodbye to Paul Nicholls. Just like there’ll never be a good time to say goodbye to Willie Mullins” – Ruby Walsh “I can't afford to retire and that's genuinely it. That's Ireland for you. I hear them worrying about other people's busi-

ness in other countries and they can't look after their own” – Kevin Prendergast “The back of the couch at home got more finishes in the Gold Cup than anything else. It was always the one race I wanted to win. To win it at 23 was unbelievable.” – Bryan Cooper “I think you have to be obsessed to be successful, almost on the edge” – Pat Smullen “He loved that four mile chase in Cheltenham because it was four miles and 32 fences. So long as there was an obstacle in front of him he was happy.” – Enda Bolger on John Thomas McNamara “The best thing I ever did was speak out. I did it for myself but it has become something bigger than me” – Mark Enright Irish Racing Yearbook 2017 is the definitive Irish racing annual, with the best writers covering the entire breadth of the thoroughbred industry, including point-to-points and breeding, with indepth analysis of the sales and stallion figures. Others featured by the best racing writers and photographers include Aidan O’Brien, Mouse Morris, Adrian Keatley, Paul Carberry, Colin Keane, David Mullins, Chris Hayes, Richard Fahey, Dan Skelton, Paddy Brennan, Rachael Blackmore, Gavin Cromwell, Ronan Whelan, Andy Slattery and Barry O’Neill. There are many more interviews as well as stats, race records and fixtures, making it essential reading for the racing enthusiast. Irish Racing Yearbook 2017 (€21.95/£19) is on sale now in all good newsagents and bookshops, and can be ordered by phone (056 7761504) or online (www.irishracingyearbook.com).

JIM QUINN Dungarvan Ltd. The Burgery, Abbeyside, Dungarvan Tel. 058 41311 / 41619 e-mail: jimquinn2@eircom.net Wishing all our Customers a very Merry Christmas and a Prosperous New Year Best for Calf Muesli, Weanling Crunch, Dairy and Beef Rations, unique pre-Calver Minerals to benefit both the Cow and Unborn Calf (in buckets or bagged). Also Haylage and Horse Rations and all your other Agricultural requirements. Special deals available in Columbian and Polish Coals, Briquettes, Cubicle Lime.

December 9, 2016 | Dungarvan Observer | 37

YEAR AHEAD HOROSCOPES 2017 AQUARIUS (January 21 – February 19) Not immediately appearing to be a 'mover and shaker', it comes as a surprise to others when they see your direct and simple approach. This year you aim to stir up all sorts of preconceived ideas and attitudes. Seek, in a partner, someone who will understand and be happy to listen to your theories of life, the universe and everything. A flighty number would soon get bored and fly the nest! Work is something that can either easily bore or totally take you over.You prefer the latter at the moment. Passion at home is great but you also need passion for a subject or plan. Genius material, that's you! Luck is on your side for most of this year and especially in the Autumn and Winter. Remember that, in politics, more than one opinion counts. Pushing yours too hard could see you on a sticky wicket or even getting the birdie! OVERALL A YEAR when you passions show more than usual. Don't feel that you have any explaining to do. Sometimes you need to be single-minded, it's the only way to get progress and benefit others. PISCES (February 20 – March 20) Finding yourself and fulfilling your dreams is the mission for this new year. Last year saw some emotional confusion.You may still be looking for that elusive something or someone. No problem. So are many others and one of them may be looking for someone just like you! Keep away from lethargy and fine-tune your curiosity. Seek to know what, why and how about anything that catches your attention. It is through this that your heart will begin to sing again. Look hard but not necessarily fast for someone who shares your hopes and attitudes. A negative friendship needs to be left behind. No longer will you accept second best or being taken for granted. Being in a state of change is exciting. Spend time with those who inspire and teach you how to get to where you want to be. This year you find companionship and maybe even love with sympathetic signs such as Libra or Cancer OVERALL A YEAR full of new possibilities. All you need is the confidence to pursue them. Easier said than done? Of course but the rewards are high and the risk to your ego small indeed. Dreams need working toward. ARIES (March 21 – April 20) Never backward in coming forward, this year gives you the ideal opportunity to display your talents and charm. Consider it a showreel for your life as you want it to be. Those dreams of success? Clearly you are determined to see them become reality! January brings freedom and the urge to kick out and experience life.Watch those spending sprees though, as the 'feel-good factor' could see you splashing the cash. Passionate temptations are all around and serious self-control will be called for. Trying not to fall in love with love will be hard, especially through Summer and Autumn. If you seek someone who is adventurous and spontaneous then make a beeline for a Sagittarius or Leo. Looking for someone to complement your softer side? Someone who will fan your fire? Then Libra and Gemini are for you. This could be the time that you start a business or develop your current career. Partner yourself with someone who will sort out the day-to-day nitty-gritty while you keep sales soaring. OVERALL A YEAR in which you decide to be yourself and a great deal less flexible.You also decide to aim high in anything you do. Shooting for the stars? Why not!

TAURUS (April 21 – May 21) Making the most of opportunities at work, growing a business or developing your career? In this new year these run a close second to that wonderfully sensuous love life of yours! Determination is your middle name and you attract love and money like a magnet. So, what is not to like? One word of caution. Health. Burning the candle at both ends could see you singed. Make the most of that all-important time to rest and recharge your batteries. Pace yourself. You will always find time, of course, to enjoy the finer things in life: music, art and any sensual pleasures that take your imaginative fancy.That you have to work hard for these does not phase you. Summer is a pleasurable time and bonds with new people, lovers and family abound. It is now that you fully appreciate how important family and friends are to you.You will find fun with Virgo and Scorpio and fan the flames of passion with Libra and Gemini. Enjoy. OVERALL A YEAR in which you manage to fruitfully combine work with pleasure, being both responsible and exciting at the same time. How many signs can lay claim to that? You are a desirable companion and lover! GEMINI (May 22 – June 21) An exciting mind and an excitable body make you one of the most loveable signs. Who would not want to be in your social circle? Always in demand, now you could be spoilt for choice. This also applies to your working life, where chances to shine start early. Showcasing yourself in the arts or travel will light up your buttons! For some a hobby can give this outlet but for others it can become an obsession. Find your best mate in either Libra or Sagittarius but don't let anyone keep you earthbound! You can hear the buzz from an open mind miles away and will be attracted. Make the most of these fleeting but important opportunities to find someone special. Those who already have a partner will want to be more adventurous. Gathering information sounds boring, which you find intolerable. However, with your special way of making words come alive and pictures shine out, you find a special niche. Spring and Autumn alike find you seeking out unusual and thrilling new friends. Circulate! OVERALL A YEAR when you feel at home and in your element. Remember that the more social effort you make, the greater will be your success. The chance to build on all of your relationships brings a Winter of great satisfaction and deepest pleasure. CANCER (June 22 – July 23) Known for valuing your home and privacy, this year will be no exception. Protection is your game and that applies to others as well as yourself. A surge of love and companionship through the Spring encourages you to come out of your shell. It is a time to reach out to form partnerships, be they professional or personal. Sometimes the two meet and, as the year progresses so does your attraction for someone special and perhaps older. Late Spring and Summer is a good time to seal deals and move home or career. The chance of a deeper love and understanding comes partly because of efforts made in the past. However, when it comes to matters of the heart there is a need to be more open and accepting. It can be hard to let someone into your life if you fear being hurt. Please don't let that stop you from having the kind of love you have always desired. Passion with Pisces or Leo can be fun and challenging but look for the Libran influence for truer understanding. OVERALL A YEAR when you are asked to accept what you do not fully understand in personal relationships.This is where your instinct and intuition kicks in.You think more deeply, love more deeply and go more with the ebb and flow of nature. Sounds good? It is.

38 | December 9, 2016 | Dungarvan Observer

By Cassandra Nye

LEO (July 24 – August 23) It may seem strange to start by concentrating on those around you, Leo. This is, however, a year in which your greatest happiness and satisfaction will come from doing just that. There is all the usual love and attention that you crave but please pass some of it on. Love is on your tail right through to the Autumn and perhaps beyond. In a partnership already? Then be ready to repel boarders! Early in the Spring a hiccup either at home or work could leave you puzzled and discontented. Consider rather than produce a knee-jerk reaction. Cash cannot be king when you don't have enough of it. At times you may feel like the poor relative but you rise above this and maybe adjust your gift-giving or paying for too many rounds (one of your nicer traits!) As the Summer settles, helping and teaching others brings such satisfaction that a career or move in this direction is considered. OVERALL A YEAR that is a wee bit revolutionary by your own standards. Sometimes, though, this can lead us to fresher fields and new horizons.Your delight in children continues and much time is taken up with youngsters who show their willingness to learn. VIRGO (August 24 – September 23) The restlessness that typifies your sign is the strong point of movement. Constantly considering, plotting, changing and criticising those around you can appear negative. Not a bit of it! With encouragement you can work out any problem and solve any emotional issue. This year, challenges centre on love and wealth. The possibility of a boost to the coffers is strong, maybe from a long distance or brought by someone so far unknown. Any new love affairs could be fun, passionate, but short-lived. Libra and Scorpio figure heavily. Don't go overboard and invest too much emotionally until you know someone is firmly in your mind and heart. Realise that all nature changes and your own thinking along with it. Something that was important ten years ago may now have passed into history. The possibilities for you grow through this year. Spoilt for choice? At times, yes. Don't rush yourself and when you make a decision, make it wisely. OVERALL A YEAR when you are happier with yourself than you are with others. That is a good sign for you, being good as you are at sorting priorities! There is no doubt of the direction both your work and love lives are going. From a stable base you are able to experiment and be flexible. LIBRA (September 24 – October 23) In a year of personal growth, the emphasis is on building your strength and happiness. Allow yourself to be indulged and edified, worshipped and adored. Everything in your life can be made fairer, more harmonious and beautiful. It needs imagination rather than cash, which is just as well. Ambitious signs such as Taurus and Capricorn attract because of their dynamic attitude. As the year progresses, the emphasis becomes more on stabilising your position, be it in a partnership or on the financial side. Tidy up any credit cards, loans or loose ends. There may be cash in the coffers but avoid spending it unless really necessary.The word 'no', which is not often in your vocabulary, becomes uttered more as you decide not to accept second-best. You will always help the weak, Libra. However, you will no longer allow yourself to be taken for granted. OVERALL A YEAR when flirting and loving see you very much in your element and you continue to make your home a sanctuary from that unbalanced outside world. Those who are looking for love will have fun searching and meet some fine folk. SCORPIO (October 24 – November 22) Starting this year from a strong position, you see the future as a lump of clay waiting to be moulded. Others would spend months messing around and deciding what they want.You won't! How great it is to know your true path! Affection is rife and mostly a two-way street. Some may flash by in their Lamborghinis, others potter in their vintage delights. All, though, will be looking in your direction. Build up your health and energy for a fast run from October. If the cash is being splashed, try to make sure that it isn't yours. Indulgence is your middle name and this is most likely to be shared by a Taurus or Pisces. Passions are met and form an imaginative journey of sensuality. This is nature at its best, whether you find it in Paris, Birmingham or your garden! The sights and sounds of the world inspire you so, be you a songwriter, poet or welder, you see creativity in everything. Bonds are strengthened through play and travel. OVERALL A YEAR that is creative and loving. Sharing your interests and those of a loved one brings knowledge and inspiration. Take the time to smell the roses but ignore the thorns. Pamper your senses with colour and textures in the home. SAGITTARIUS (November 23 – December 21) As the moon around Jupiter showcase its beauty, so your friends and family circle you in a web of love this year. As you receive it, share it around. You like to have the best, the biggest and the amazing. However, you also appreciate the rare and unique. New loves can be found, but your criteria are high. Spellbinding Aquarius or loving Libra can moon over you all they like. Look for friends where there is a good conversation to be had and where you can share in their humour and experiences. As the Autumn approaches there is a need for more exciting activities. Creativity goes hand in hand with travel and a possible link with working for a charity or raising funds through sport. Certainly you will need to burn off some of that high-octane energy! You work for yourself and your own goals and if that benefits loved ones, what could be better? One thing you realise is that you cannot help others unless you help your own needs first. OVERALL A YEAR where excess can prevail, and not always to your advantage. Being practical is not the first thing on your mind when the adrenaline is running high. Even so, a bit of forward planning and care will avoid misfortunes. CAPRICORN (December 22 – January 20) Winning friends and influencing people? Nothing new there then! This year is a continuation of your previous success, but with a strong element of romance and even passion. Will you be mixing business with pleasure? Probably not as you take your work seriously. However, that won't rule out the possibility of you working very closely with a loved one. Love is sometimes a puzzle to you. Can you be bothered to solve it? Could be worth your time! Looking for a partner? Life rather than work? The person with the right amount of sparkle and commitment could pop along at any time. Be prepared to go to pastures new (maybe even abroad) and a delightful accent could charm your senses. Virgo and Sagittarius can set off a spark but will Leo make a match? A lovely face gets you interested, but can they cut it with the serious conversation? Potential lovers should note that if they feed your mind they will also fire your imagination. OVERALL A YEAR when you take charge both at work and home. Great. One important point to be made though.You really must learn to relax more and let go of all those preconceived ideas. The only barrier to happiness comes from within.

No. 1 bestselling children’s book, Historopedia features a Woolly Mammoth discovered in County Waterford HISTORY IS NOT A THING OF THE PAST! • From the team behind 2015’s runaway bestseller Irelandopedia comes a dazzling new adventure through Ireland’s history. • Nominated for an Irish Book Award • Number 1 bestseller PREPARE to take a journey dreadful disasters and revoluthrough time as we discover tionary rebels. As a retired primary school the story of Ireland, era by era, with Historopedia. A perfect teacher, John Burke is passionintroduction to Ireland’s ate about the important role history for young and old, this that history plays in children’s illustrated journey through our lives as they learn to undercountry's culture and events stand the world we live in. explores over ten thousand Meanwhile, his daughter Fatti years filled with bloody battles, Burke is determined to make

learning history as fun and quirky as possible for kids… and for their parents too! Together Fatti and John have created a trip through time, past courageous Celts, rampaging Vikings and rebellious republicans. Historopedia looks at wars and disasters; introduces artists, explorers and leaders; shows us living in castles, cottages and tenements. Learn about the Great Famine, the vicious Vikings and the Easter Rising. Protest with the suffragettes, set sail with Granuaile and hunt with the Neolithic people. With

Historopedia, you will learn about the men, women (and dinosaurs) who came here before us. And, of course, Fatti and John never neglect the imagination! Here too are dragons, mythical figures and TV characters, alongside worldchanging inventions borne from the imaginations of Irish scientists and explorers. So plug in your time machine – you’re about to discover the story of Ireland from then until now! Historopedia is the second book from father-anddaughter duo, Kathi and John

Burke, and follows their runaway bestseller Irelandopedia, which won 3 awards including an Irish Book Award 2015 and a CBI Book of the Year Award 2016. Historopedia is published by Gill Books and out now, priced at €24.99. For further information contact Emma Lynam, Publicity Executive, 01 500 9506, 086 838 9611, elynam@gill.ie Kathi ‘Fatti’ Burke is a Dublin-based Illustrator. Her first book, Irelandopedia, has won three awards, including the Ryan Tubridy Show

Listeners’ Choice Award at the Irish Book Awards 2015, and was a national bestseller. John Burke is Fatti’s 70year-old dad. He is a retired primary school teacher and was Teaching Principal of Passage East National School from 1980 to 2009. He has always been interested in environmental studies, local history and exploring Ireland. He is currently a board member of Waterford Teacher's Education Centre and Secretary of Barony of Gaultier Historical Society. He lives in Waterford.

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PROUD WINNERS

MARKETING AWARD WINNER

2015

SHERRY FITZGERALD MARKETING AWARD

Sherry FitzGerald recently held its Annual Countrywide Conference 2016 in Killashee Hotel, Naas, Co. Kildare. This is a full day event that sees all franchise offices coming together for presentations, workshops and networking. The day ends with our annual awards ceremony which recognises the excellent work franchise offices undertake to promote and grow their businesses. For the second year running, Sherry FitzGerald Reynolds were the proud recipients of the National Marketing Award. This award is given to the franchise office that goes above and beyond to promote the Sherry FitzGerald brand locally and nationally through advertising, sponsorship and events. This year’s award was sponsored by The Farmers Journal.

Philip Sherry of Sherry FitzGerald, Kate Devereux of The Farmers Journal and Mary Dillon of Sherry FitzGerald presenting Marketing Award winners, Sherry FitzGerald Reynolds. L-R: Philip Sherry, Executive Chairman, Sherry FitzGerald; Kate Devereux, Farmers Journal; David Reynolds, Gerardine Reynolds, Sinead Reynolds, Cormac Curran from Sherry FitzGerald Reynolds and Mary Dillon, Managing Director, Sherry FitzGerald, Countrywide.

SHERRYFITZ.IE

/SHERRYFITZGERALDGROUP @SHERRY_FITZ

32 | December 11, 2015 | Dungarvan Observer