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“THIS IS
HEATHER GORDON ULTRA AFRICA
NICHOLAS
LIVING WITH AUTISM” 28 year old Nicholas Ryan-Purcell from Emly in Co Tipperary was diagnosed with Asperger Syndrome at the young age of just thirteen years old. The young man was also affected by an early childhood trauma which left him facing into mental health issues including a protracted period of depression. Determined to move forward with his life young Nicholas faced life’s challenges head on to make it through the Leaving Certificate and to move forward through a TV Production course in Ballyfermot College in Dublin. Turn to page 5...
Local vegan runner Heather Gordon has returned from Mozambique, where she competed in Ultra Africa; a 5 day 220km self-supported race in which competitors run from Nhambavale Lake in Chidenguele to Jangamo Beach. Full story on page 22...
NORTH-TIPPERARY FARMERS SHORTLISTED FOR BORD BIA’S ORIGIN GREEN FARMER AWARDS John Maher, a dairy farmer from Nenagh, Co. Tipperary, and Nicholas Bergin, a beef farmer from Roscrea, Co. Tipperary have been shortlisted for Bord Bia’s Origin Green Farmer Awards. The biennial awards recognize and reward the exceptional performance being achieved by members of its Sustainable Quality Assurance schemes for beef, horticulture and dairy. Continued on page 12...
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“The Finest” | Issue Nº 53
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Make this a Christmas to Remember with a Tribute to Your Loved One
her. I adapt, because I must. She is gone, but not completely, because my brother and I are still here. This Christmas I am proud to support the IHF and all the work they do for the bereaved.” Every year 30,000 people in Ireland die and on average 10 people are directly affected by a death. This means up to 300,000 people will experience the pain of loss this Christmas. The IHF is dedicated to working with those facing dying, death and bereavement. Its mission, delivered through its support, education and advocacy programmes is to strive for the best end-of-life and bereavement care, for all. The Never Forgotten Appeal invites people to remember their special someone this Christmas and support the vital work of the IHF as they help those who are nearing death or experiencing bereavement. Each donation also allows people to compose a personal message in memory of those they love who have died which is then handwritten into the 2019 Book of Remembrance. The 2019 Book of Remembrance will be proudly displayed in the Irish Hospice Foundation library. People can donate online at www.neverforgotten.ie. IHF CEO, Sharon Foley commented: “Grief is difficult all year round but special occasions like Christmas can be particularly hard for those who are bereaved. Let’s cherish the memories of our loved ones who have died by making this a Christmas to remember.”
Journalist Laura Kennedy is urging people to support those facing bereavement across Ireland this Christmas by donating to the Irish Hospice Foundation’s (IHF) Never Forgotten Appeal. After the untimely death of her mother Emma three years ago, the Limerick native was plunged into her own journey of grief and loss.
“After my mother died in November 2015, I hardly knew who I was. As I began the process of grieving, the shape of my life without her would come to me in realizations that felt like an angry punch to the gut. Those punches still come, three years later. For me, my mother is still Christmas – I make the food she made, I tell stories about her, I remember
“Our Never Forgotten Appeal is one way in which you can honour a loved one who has died and at the same time make a real difference to others at the end of life or those left bereaved. All donations go towards the work of the IHF in bereavement and to providing better care and support for those who are bereaved.”
The IHF relies on public donations to fund its services. Our work in Bereavement includes:
• Over 2600 individuals and healthcare professionals trained in bereavement annually • Co-ordinating the Irish Childhood Bereavement Network (ICBN) • A Hardship Fund for helping people and families with funeral costs Go to www.neverforgotten.ie to make a vital donation in memory of the one you love.
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“The Finest” | Issue Nº 53
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XELEROS AT MICHAEL GLEESON SHOES IN LIMERICK Every day we see people coming into our store with some form of foot problem. We are finding that Xeleros have been a solution for so many feet problems. As these shoes come in different width fittings have a strong heel cup for extra support a flat base for stability and a thick sole for added shock absorption they really can be worn by anyone. Our best recommendation for these shoes is that generally anyone who has bought a pair has come back again for another pair in a different colour. So! whether it’s a shoe that you or a loved one needs for added comfort or support. Give someone a gift of comfort this Christmas. We are open Sundays in December and will always have a trained fitter in store to measure and advise on the best size and style for your feet. Call instore or checkout or website www. michaelgleesonshoes.com
SOUTH EAST SIMON COMMUNITY LAUNCH CHRISTMAS JUMPER DAY CAMPAIGN South East Simon’s Harvey Kinsella with volunteers Anna Wade, Patricia Walsh, Mary Fearon, Ger Fitzgerald and Robyn Kinsella celebrate the launch of South East Simon’s Christmas Jumper Day campaign. Host a Jumper Day anytime between now and
Christmas, at home, at school or at work, in fact anywhere at all, and help raise funds in support of people who are homeless in the South East. Sign up at: www.southeastsimon.ie/2018/09/19/ christmas-jumper-day/. Photo by: Leo Murphy
Cheque Presentation to Age Friendly Roscrea Brian Redmond from Redmonds of Roscrea the Photographers presents a cheque for €1,050 to Anne Keevy of Age Friendly Roscrea.
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-THIS IS NICHOLAS – LIVING WITH AUTISM 28 year old Nicholas Ryan-Purcell from Emly in Co Tipperary was diagnosed with Asperger Syndrome at the young age of just thirteen years old. The young man was also affected by an early childhood trauma which left him facing into mental health issues including a protracted period of depression. Determined to move forward with his life young Nicholas faced life’s challenges head on to make it through the Leaving Certificate and to move forward through a TV Production course in Ballyfermot College in Dublin. Fast forward fifteen years, Nicholas is now 28 years old and thankfully the darkest days of mental health issues and depression are far behind him. The Finest met with Nicholas Ryan-Purcell as he was preparing to release a documentary film that he had produced titled ‘This is Nicholas- Living with Autism’ which traced back the experience of growing up with Asperger Syndrome and his battle with depression. The documentary also tracks the support of the important influences in Nicholas’s life such as teachers, family and friends who rallied around him to bring him through his
darkest days into adult life. Nicholas has shown tremendous determination and personal innovation since graduating from Ballyfermot in 2012 with a Higher National Diploma in Television Operations and Production. When there was no work available he set up his own company rather than let his dreams slip through his fingers. ‘This is Nicholas- Living with Autism’ is not the first of Nicholas Ryan-Purcell’s own productions. In fact the young producer has already been busy collecting accolades for his work which includes two gongs at the Hollywood International Independent Documentary Awards for a film he produced about the racehorse Gordon Lord Byron. Having met Nicholas Ryan-Purcell in Nenagh in the lead up to the launch of his documentary film ‘This is Nicholas – Living with Autism’ and following the many sold out screenings of the production, The Finest would like to congratulate the young film maker on his growing list of achievements.
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“The Finest” | Issue Nº 53
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HOME INSTEAD SENIOR CARE
NENAGH COUNTRY MARKET FOR ALL YOUR CHRISTMAS NEEDS!
For those of you who enjoy the true shop local experience a trip to the Nenagh Country Market is a must. The Nenagh Country Market are located in the New Institute on Friar Street in Nenagh with the Country Market taking place every Friday morning from 8am to 1.30pm.
Now that the Christmas season has kicked off for 2018 the Nenagh Country Market members are busy preparing the finest local Christmas produce for their loyal customers with a wide range of Christmas goods including, home-made Christmas cakes, plum puddings, mince pies, free range turkeys & geese, table arrangements and a delightful selection of Christmas wreaths all carefully prepared to liven up your Christmas. The Nenagh Country Market is part of the backbone of local trade within the North Tipperary community having been founded back in 1964 and over the last 54 years the group have developed within the community providing not only the market environment, but also a strong sense of community which welcomes in local people to the
group. The Nenagh Country Market started back in Dun Mhuire and then moved on to the New Institute location back in 1990 as the list of locally produced products continued to grow. Customers who visit the Nenagh Country Market can expect to find a wide selection of locally produced products including breads, buns, cheesecakes, tarts, free range chickens, free range eggs, quiches, farm fresh vegetables, farm fresh potatoes, lasagnes and much, much more. The true benefit of the products on offer at the Nenagh Country Market is that all of these goods have been produced locally by local people and are free from additives and preservatives. Why not let the Nenagh Country Market help take the stress out of baking this Christmas by paying them a visit to order locally produced goods. This isn’t just shopping local, this is stocking local, meaning that the goods purchased have been produced in the area. Orders are now being taken for all of your Christmas requirements including Christmas cakes, plum puddings, mince pies, Christmas wreaths, tables arrangements and Christmas hampers.
Neither giving nor receiving care is easy. Home Instead Senior Care® puts relationships first to support those giving care, to protect the dignity of those receiving care and to enhance the quality of life for both seniors and their families in every caregiving experience. If your family recognises the value of ageing in place as we do, you’ve come to the right place. Home Instead® CAREGiversSM provide compassionate and reliable home care services to help keep seniors safe and independent wherever they call home.
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TEMPLEMORE COLLEGE STUDENTS IN THOMOND PARK
Siobhan Keating (far right) Erasmus Co-Ordinator at Templemore College with a group of students from Templemore College and the ‘La Murga’ performers for Peurto De La Cruz Carnical in Tenerife recently.
Photo – left to right - Therese Purcell (Teacher), Jade Beason, Francesca Nicole Baring, Aoife Ryan, Jodie Savage, Amelia Lown The Advanced Administration & Tourism students from Templemore College of Further Education recently visited Thomond Park in Limerick. These students’ study both Sales and Marketing, Customer Service, Tourism Information & Administration as well as other modules. The purpose of the visit was to gather information on how an organisation such as Munster Rugby promote their organisation and deal with visitors and fans. As well as being the main home venue for Munster games – the building also houses a museum worth a visit. The museum traces the rise of rugby in Munster and Limerick and also has many interactive and displays that challenge the visitor. There is plenty of material and memorabilia from the famous win against the All Blacks in 1978. It is
a place that can be enjoyed by all age groups. Thomond could not survive as just a venue for rugby matches. It hosts many corporate events, parties for various groups, musical events and even the odd wedding. Rosemary the guide for the tour of both the museum and the actual venue was informative and impressive in the way she answered questions and provided an insight into the running of Thomond Park. The students learned a lot from the visit in terms of customer service and how to market an organisation. As a result they will submit projects that link theory with practice. Learning outside the classroom is an integral part of the Advanced Administration & Tourism courses. If you would like to learn more about this programme log onto www.tcfe.ie.
TOP CLASS ERASMUS PROGRAMME AT TEMPLEMORE COLLEGE OF FURTHER EDUCATION A booklet published by the EU Commission entitled ‘45 inspiring stories celebrating Ireland’s 45 years of EU Membership’ has been recently launched and Templemore College of Further Education has been chosen as one of those ‘inspiring stories’ that should be shared with the nation. This good news story features the ‘First class Erasmus Programme’ on offer at Templemore College. Currently, Templemore College sends 35-40 students abroad each year to complete work experience placements through the Erasmus+ programme in association with Léargas. Students can complete their work experience in Spain, France or Germany, in a wide range of areas; IT and Networks, Tourism with Languages, Business, Media Studies, Hairdressing, Beauty Therapy, Complementary Therapies, Make-up Artistry, Sports and Recreation, and Horticulture. Each student receives funding from the Erasmus+ programme for travel, accommodation, and
living expenses. Students gain an opportunity to experience life in another country, by attending language classes, working with a local company, and participating in organised cultural activities. Siobhan Keating is the Co-ordinator of the Erasmus programme at Templemore College of Further Education and says that ‘students from Templemore College of Further Education gain valuable experiences in terms of learning a new language and technical skills in their areas of expertise but also in terms of personal growth. Students have also demonstrated a significant increase in selfconfidence, maturity, and motivation upon their return home to Ireland. In addition, the Erasmus+ mobility experience will enhance the student’s CV and help the student secure future employment, at home or abroad’.
Be part of this international experience. Expand your horizons with Templemore College of Further Education. Apply online now @ www.tcfe.ie
TIPPERARY SEARCH AND RESCUE (NENAGH ORMOND SEARCH UNIT) We would like to wish everyone a happy peaceful Christmas. Thank you for your continued support in 2018. Christmas is a joyous time for many but unfortunately can be a hard time some. We would urge anyone in distress to reach out to someone. You’re not alone and you are loved. We hope 2019 is the best year for everyone and all your dreams come true. We are now a registered charity and rely on public donations so if you can help please do. We as always remain on-call and can be contacted on 087 3424433 24/7/365 Thank you all and special thanks to our members and their families who understand why & what we do.
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COMPASS FOSTERING SERVICES ‘Children are not the people of tomorrow, but are the people of today. They have a right to be taken seriously, and to be treated with tenderness and respect. They should be allowed to grow into whatever they were meant to be – the unknown person inside each of them is our hope for the future’ Janusz Korczak (1878 – 1942)
Have you ever considered becoming a foster carer?
Compass Fostering Services recruits, trains and supports individuals and families interested in becoming foster carers. We develop foster carers that are capable of caring for vulnerable and complex children and young people in care within a home environment.
We feel that placing an increasing emphasis on the supports given to foster carers and their requirement to engage in them, will in turn promote the foster children and young people in their care to reach their full potential and developmentally grow throughout their placements.
The main aim for foster carers is to provide a stable warm home environment, develop secure attachments and establish trustworthy caring relationships with children and young people who have experienced neglect, trauma and abuse. We are looking for people to care for children on a long-term basis, short-term basis, planned respite or emergency placements for children and young people aged 0 – 18 years old. What we ask of people interested in becoming foster carers is that they have previous experience of children and young people either in an employed capacity, voluntary basis or experience within their family and friends circle. Also, they must have a spare bedroom in they home and be able to bring the child to school every day. We will ensure that all applicants wanting to become foster carers are trained through out comprehensive training programme and supported through their fostering assessment with us and thereafter. The support services we provide include: 24/7 round the clock support, support worker who
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works closely with your family and foster child, professional supervision, carer team meetings and carer support groups. Our guiding principles are to view each child first and foremost as a child capable of being cared for by those willing and committed to provide them with unconditional positive regard or love. Other important principles that guide us are: promoting the development of a child or young person in partnership with foster carers, providing a holistic family centred service, being accessible, flexible and responsive to foster carers’ needs, valuing and empowering foster cares, ensuring the delivery of reliable and well established interventions and finally ensuring best practice principles are identified and adhered to. If you can deal patiently and consistently with behaviours that challenge, understand the needs of young people who have disrupted family situations, and can be present when thing are tough then this fostering is the role for you. The process to becoming a foster carer can be quite thorough and comprehensive which could take a minimum of six months dependant on individual circumstances.
If you have any questions or want to discuss fostering with us, please contact: Compass Fostering Services on 061 622040, 085 1305753 or email fostering@compasscfs.ie. More information can be found by following the link below: www.compasscfs.ie/data/documents/CompassFostering-Services-Booklet.pdf Compass Fostering Services is part of Compass Child and Family Services CLG (Compass CFS) which was established as a non for profit organisation in 2012. Compass CFS is a registered charitable organisation since 2017.
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“The Finest” | Issue Nº 53
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GRADUATION AT TEMPLEMORE COLLEGE OF FURTHER EDUCATION
Early Childhood and Education Level 6 Class – Margaret Meehan, Nora McCarthy, Freda McLeish, Tracey Costello (Co-Ordinator), Antoinette Kennedy Scanlon and Katriona Cantwell and the elites, and then decide for ourselves. Our internal beauty and magic, which is educated to reject compliance and maintain a healthy scepticism, is well capable of these decisions, and defends us from the pervasive manufactured norms.” Special guest, Tipperary’s Senior Hurling player Brendan Maher, addressed the graduates and guests with his thoughts on success. He reflected on his childhood and life experience and spoke about his career challenges. According
to Brendan Maher there are two key factors that contribute to an individual’s success – drive and persistence. He said ‘in order to succeed at what you want to achieve you must persist and keep on trying’. He congratulated the graduates of TCFE and wished them success in their futures. The ceremony concluded with the presentation of Awards to the graduates by the Special Guest, Brendan Maher, and the College Principal Dr. Noel Colleran.
Business Administration Class – Jason Kirwan, Carol Ann Russell, Mary Bourke, Ben Ahearn, Marcelina Zglinicka, Linda Curran, Elaine Cleary Davis and Clara Ryan Templemore College of Further Education held its Graduation Ceremony in the Templemore Arms hotel on Friday October 19th. This was a proud day for the graduates and their families and friends. The ceremony began with an address by the College Principal, Dr Noel Colleran. He began by referring to the band Supertramp, who in 1979 released its Breakfast in America album. Included was as song entitled The Logical Song. The songwriter suggested the it is about the corroding effect of life which starts with beauty and magic but as we go on we are required to become compliant with manufactured norms and in the end nobody knows how to think for themselves. He continued “over the past years we have been told by the ‘people that know’ that we should be very concerned about Brexit, Trump’s America, the rise of nationalism in Europe and throughout the world. We are told that these regressions are the result of decisions made by uneducated,
populists who are incapable of the right decision. It is interesting that the source of this critique is the captains of industry, people of quality, and the opinion-makers. It seems that these elites have cornered that market when it comes to knowing the ‘right’ decision. It seems that, for the rest of us, the question can be framed in a binary fashion: is the populists or the people of quality who are ‘right’? Dr Colleran continued “from an education perspective, which teaches us to question, to reject compliance, and encourages us to think for ourselves, we are encouraged have no truck with this binary choice and take the third way and back ourselves. We need to become critical citizens and while our decisions may not be ‘right’ we own them and stand by them. He concluded “critical citizenship: the product of an effective education process, will provide the confidence for all of us to listen to the populists
Health and Wellness Class – Catherine Smeaton, Grainne Nolan, Carmel Ryan, Aisling Meade, Ciara Kennedy, Stefanie Auler and Ellen Staunton.
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DERRYKEARNE FOODS OPEN NEW WHOLESALE BUTCHERS ON ROSCREA MAIN STREET Good news has arrived in for Roscrea Main Street with the opening of a wholesale butcher shop. Derrykearne Foods have been established in business for over 30 years, supplying top quality meats to the hotel and catering trade with restaurant quality products.
products available to the public from Monday to Saturday. The Finest would like to be the first to wish Dan
Keegan and staff the very best and continuing success with their new Wholesale Butchers premises in Roscrea.
Business owner Dan Keegan today opened the doors to the public of the new wholesale butchers retail premises which is located on Gantly Lane with the entrance on Roscrea Main Street. Dan Keegan introduced his team of experienced butchers who are now ready to serve the public top quality products at wholesale prices.
Proprietor Dan Keegan outside the new Wholesale Butchers on Gantly Lane on Roscrea Main Street
Pat Claffey has over 36 years of experience in the butcher’s trade and Stephen Kennedy who joins him has over a decade of experience. The new retail unit also boasts a large selection of quality frozen food products as well as locally produced products such as jams and vegetables. Derrykearne Foods new Wholesale butchers retail premises adds to the list of reasons why Roscrea is a great town to do your shopping in, with wholesale prices on top quality meat
Master Butchers Stephen Kennedy with proprietor Dan Keegan and Pat Claffey make up the new team at Derrykearne Foods
NORTH-TIPPERARY FARMERS SHORTLISTED FOR BORD BIA’S - ORIGIN GREEN FARMER AWARDS
FARMERS RECOGNIZED FOR SUSTAINABLE PRACTICES IN BEEF, DAIRY AND HORTICULTURE John Maher, a dairy farmer from Nenagh, Co. Tipperary, and Nicholas Bergin, a beef farmer from Roscrea, Co. Tipperary have been shortlisted for Bord Bia’s Origin Green Farmer Awards. The biennial awards recognize and reward the exceptional performance being achieved by members of its Sustainable Quality Assurance schemes for beef, horticulture and dairy. John Maher and his wife Rena, who supply Arrabawn co-op, have been nominated in the ‘Small-Medium herd’ category at the awards. Milking a herd of 76 British Friesians, the Mahers
have been farming in Gortmore since 1950. Nicholas Bergin has been nominated in the ‘Suckler to weanling store’ category at the awards. Based in Coolnagh, Nicholas is a breeding enthusiastic who also works off farm for an artificial insemination (AI) company. Both the Mahers and Bergins, along with the 37 other participating farms, meet high standards around hygiene, farm safety, traceability, animal welfare, remedy use and commitment to their locality. The overall category winners will be announced at an awards ceremony at The Heritage
Rena and John Maher
Nicholas and Danny Bergin
Hotel, Killenard, Co. Laois on Wednesday 12th December. With the Origin Green programme, Ireland is the first country in the world to audit and carbon footprint its livestock farms, currently at a rate of 650 a week, under what is in effect a national programme providing measurement and feedback to farmers for continuous improvement in how they farm sustainably. The results represent a unique selling point for Irish food exports, proving that farmers are operating with due care for the surrounding environment, resulting in a low *carbon footprint. Chief Executive of Bord Bia Tara McCarthy paid
tribute to the achievements of all the finalists, saying: “The farmers chosen as finalists for these awards are already regarded by the industry as being among the very best. Their commitment to sustainable production through the Origin Green programme and willingness to have their achievements judged by a panel of experts shows their ambition to be the best and to make the Irish food and drink industry a world leader.” She added: “These are the farmers Bord Bia will be looking to when we are demonstrating to food buyers the solid foundations on which the Irish food and drink industry has been built and why it is sustainable into the future.”
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OUR LADY’S SECONDARY SCHOOL, TEMPLEMORE
Pope John Paul Awards
Students from Our Lady’s who received the Pope John Paul Awards recently at The Anner Hotel Thurles. Nicola Buggy, Brona Bergin, Shane Lowe, James McDonald and Claire Maher represented their parish Moyne Templetouhy. While Niamh Hogan and Marie Kennedy represented Our Lady’s Secondary School. Well done to you all, a wonderful achievement.
Zeminar
Transition year students enjoyed a great day out at Zeminar in the RDS. Zeminar helps to introduce young people to some of the best and most innovative organisations in Ireland. Throughout the day students can take part in workshops and get the opportunity to listen to influential speakers who are interested in the development and well-being of our young people. The motto for the day was..... “Be yourself..everyone else is already taken”Oscar Wilde A chief speaker at the event was Jack Kavanagh. He told students to be themselves and not try to be someone else. He is confined to a wheelchair from a swimming accident.
Adam Harris
John Paul 11 Awards
Inclusion week The aim of the week was to increase awareness of the difficulties experienced by individuals and to encourage inclusion and participation for all. As part of the week’s events many presentations were given by variety of speakers. We were delighted to welcome documentary maker Nicolas Ryan-Purcell to the school on Monday afternoon. Sixth year students got the chance to watch his wonderful documentary ‘This is Nicolas - Living with Autism’. You could have heard a pin drop in the social area!!!! It is an amazing piece of work!! The documentary focuses on himself and his life with Autism. A huge thank you to Ms Aoife Campion and Ms Siobhan Crowe who organised the event. If you are interested in seeing it, the next screening of it will be in the Nenagh Ormond cinema on the 26th November. It is well worth viewing. We also welcomed Adam Harris, the founder and CEO of ‘AS I Am’ to Our Lady’s on Wednesday where he spoke to 2nd, 3rd, TY & 5th years on autism awareness. It was an a very enlightening talk which gave our students a greater awareness on autism.
Scholarship
On Thursday 15th of November both 3rd and 6th year students from Our Lady’s were very fortunate to hear Peter Ryan’s story. His visit to the school was part of ‘Inclusion Week’. He described his incredible story about going blind, losing everything and finding another great life. He told the students about his journey from a Tipperary minor to a blind Paralympian cyclist. His message was simple, No human being is perfect, everybody has challenges and it is how we overcome these challenges that teach us to deal with life’s problems. A big thank you to Ms Anne Marie Johnston, a Drumbane native herself, for organising the talk.
Congratulations to Joseph Boyle who received his entrance Scholarship Award in UCD. Joseph, pictured here Ms Patricia Higgins (principal of Our Lady’s), is now studying Politics and Law in UCD.
Nicolas Ryan Purcell
Peter Ryan pictured with Ms Patricia Higgins, Ms Anne Marie Johnston, Mr Gavin Ryan
SCHOLARSHIP FOR ÁINE TREACY TO MARY IMMACULATE COLLEGE Congratulations to Áine Treacy who was awarded an entrance scholarship at Mary Immaculate College. Áine is now studying a B.A in Education in Business Studies and Accounting in Mary Immaculate Thurles. We wish her the very best for the future. It was a fantastic occasion with Allumni such as Dáithí Ó Sé and Jacqui Hurley honoured.
ST. JOSEPH’S COLLEGE, BORRISOLEIGH 2ND YEAR MUSIC CLASS TRIP
TEAM HOPE CHRISTMAS SHOE BOX APPEAL AT OUR LADY’S SECONDARY SCHOOL
Our 2nd Year Music students spent a very enjoyable day in Cork recently, where they attended the Cork Pops Orchestra concert in City Hall. They also managed to get in a visit
to the renowned English Market and a spot of shopping. A thoroughly rewarding experience for many of the students who attended a live orchestra for the first time.
Well done to Naomh Brid, a first-year class who have completed their Team Hope Shoe Box Collection for Christmas. Their generosity
will go a long way to brightening someone’s Christmas.
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CORK AIRPORT WINS NATIONAL AWARD FOR ITS CHARITY FUNDRAISERS
CHRISTMAS FAIR AT REDWOOD CASTLE Cork Airport - Ireland’s Chapter of PMI National Project Awards 2018 Cork Airport’s Charity of the Year programme has won the Social Good – Corporate award at the Ireland Chapter of Project Management Institute’s (PMI) prestigious National Project Awards 2018. The announcement was made at the black-tie Gala dinner at the offices of headline sponsor PwC on Spencer Dock, Dublin last night (29 November). The Social Good – Corporate 2018 award, sponsored by AIB, recognises excellence in project management in the corporate social responsibility category. Cork Airport, Ireland’s second busiest international airport, won for the project management around its Charity of the Year fundraising initiatives, including the annual 5km Runway Run, when 2,500 runners take to the runway after midnight. On winning the award, Head of Communications at Cork Airport, Kevin Cullinane said: “We are delighted to have won at the National Project Awards 2018. Our annual Charity of the Year initiative has supported many notable charities such as Shine Centre for Autism, Kevin Bell Repatriation Trust, and Cork City Hospitals Children’s Fund. “Different fundraiser events take place throughout the year, both at a large and small scale. The 5km Runway Run, along with previous fashion shows in the terminal building concourse, require
extensive planning to adhere to security and safety compliance measures. Through the use of project management tools, we have found no need to limit the creativity of our staff when it comes to fundraising.” The annual National Project Awards celebrate the very best of project management in business in Ireland. Seven winners in total were announced on the night by master of ceremonies, Newstalk Business Editor Vincent Wall. Commending Cork Airport on their win, President of the Ireland Chapter of PMI, Pat Lucey said: “Cork Airport is a thoroughly deserving winner of the Social Good – Corporate 2018 award. Their highly-successful project management approach to their CSR programme allows for innovative thinking and creativity when delivering the Charity of the Year initiative. The quality and range of this year’s entries showcase why project management is vital to delivering successful projects across all sectors in Irish commercial life” Cork Airport is forecasting a growth of 7% next year with an expected 2.6 million passengers to travel through the airport in 2019, with over 50 routes across the UK, continental Europe and East Coast USA.
The committee behind the redevelopment of Redwood Castle have some big plans for the local attraction. The aim is to open Redwood Castle as an arts and crafts center where people of all ages can learn new skills. Starting in January 2019 there will be sewing classes in dressmaking and soft furnishings, art classes so people can learn to draw and paint, there will also be days where traditional crafts such as basket weaving, lace making, iron work and jewellery classes will be taught.
Throughout the coming year there will be 7 events held, there will be a design day, wedding show, music festival, children’s day, meet the maker day, art show and a Christmas fair. We are kicking this all of by holding a Christmas fair on the 8th and 9th of December and crafters are coming from all over the country to show at Redwood Castle, it will be the first time they have exhibited their crafts and skills in this county. Moving forward into 2020 we will be holding small weddings and blessings as the castle has its own chapel. We have been running afternoon tea on a Sunday afternoon since October and these have proved to be very successful with the ladies.
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that they enjoy the taste so much that will return and put us to the test for other new discoveries that they have not yet sampled, but of course are second nature to us.”
Our top choices... Venison Soola
Sanjay’s
Kitchen
The last time Sanjay’s Kitchen in Birr town were featured in The Finest they had just opened up and out of curiosity we had gone over there to see what was on offer. Much to our delight we found a local restaurant that served food of a very high standard. The joy of being able to visit a local restaurant that offers city standard cuisine is not to be sniffed at, rather it should be whole heartedly supported as it will encourage more restauranteurs to move in to the area to compete for our trade. Restaurant owner Sanjay Vishwakarma has once again added to his list of accolades in winning the ‘Best Neighbourhood Restaurant’ gold prize award at this year’s curry awards. Is this sinking in yet? There is a restaurant in our area that serves traditional Indian cuisine to a standard that wins gold curry awards. Prior to the award news The Finest visited Sanjay’s kitchen to catch up and see what wonders had been added to the menu. The great thing about Sanjay’s Kitchen is that you can ask the chef to make dishes that do not appear on the menu, perhaps you have tried a dish elsewhere and wish to enjoy your favourite. Sanjay Vishwakarma explained to us that “We prepare many different traditional Indian dishes that our customers request that are not even listed on our menu. And we often find that once the customers taste our version of the dish
Shakir Kandi
This is often served as a starter dish and consists of sweet potatoes with chutney, marinated and served in yoghurt with capsicum and diced onion. It has a slight spicy kick with a follow on of a roasted flavour to it. Shakir Kandi is not on the menu so it would have to be made specially for those who request it.
One of the most popular or mainstream Indian dishes that would be known to many. Sanjay’s rendition of the chicken tikka dish is done with chicken breast in a tikka margination with chilli, garlic and cumin. This is a safe bet for those who are starting out and want to put the toe in the water slowly.
Chicken Korma
The king of Indian cuisine, yet having tried so many different chicken korma over the years at home from a jar or in various restaurants, it has to be said that when you try the traditional chicken korma from Sanjay’s kitchen that you will discover the true distinct flavour of this dish and you will return for more.
achievement from two years ago when they were placed ninth. Thomas is captain of the team and as well as playing with his local club he also has the prestigious position with the Irish team where he competed in the FIPFA 2017 world cup in Florida. Thomas is currently undertaking a full time QQI level 5 award in Creative Media at Templemore College of Further Education.
Tandoori Jhinga This is served as either a starter or a main course at Sanjay’s Kitchen and is probably number one on my list. When the menu says ‘jumbo prawn’ they mean jumbo. The dish is served in a citric blend of lemon juice, turmeric, mustard and fresh coriander. Tandoori Jhinga is a very filling dish so as stated it can be ordered as a starter allowing the diner to sample more of the flavours on offer over the course of their meal.
Chicken Tikka
CREATIVE MEDIA STUDENT AT TEMPLEMORE COLLEGE PLAYS IN THE EPFA CHAMPIONS CUP 2018
TCFE Creative Media student Thomas Donogher has just returned from a two-week trip to Hou, Denmark where he captained the Midlands United club team in the 2018 European Power Chair Football Champions Cup. The team played against other European countries such as France, England, Denmark, Finland and Switzerland. They were placed sixth which was a great
This is quite a delicate dish with specially prepared Tandoori Hauch Venison marinated with chilli, garlic and garam masala. As a main course it is served with mustard potatoes with plum and tomato sauce. Put this on you to try list, the combination of flavours is unlike anything I have tried before. This dish has since become a firm favourite.
Lamb Chettinad The lamb Chettinad is a spicy dish from Taminadu with fennel seeds, poppy seeds, cinnamon, cardamom & star anise cloves finished with coconut and tamarind.
Sheek Kebab The presentation of this starter is fantastic, Lamb mince flavoured with cinnamon, clove and chilli, cooked on a skewer in tandoor. I found this to be a reasonably hot starter which lit up the taste buds.
His teachers and fellow classmates at Templemore College are very proud of Thomas’ achievements to date and wish him every success in his future with power chair football. Photo – left to right (back) – Nicola Welford (Creative Media Co-Ordinator TCFE), Kieran
No Indian meal is complete without freshly prepared Nann bread and Sanjay’s selection offer the prefect compliment to the range of dishes served. On this occasion we went for Keema & cheese naan bread and Goat cheese and pineapple naan. Now we of course believe that people should do what they can to check out local businesses first where possible and if you like traditional Indian cuisine The Finest can wholeheartedly recommend a trip to Sanjay’s Kitchen where you will discover a whole new world of flavours prepared in a traditional style that will see you coming back for more.
O’Dwyer, Michael Corcoran, Jedd Bates, James Davern, Katya Shestavina, Terry Smeaton, Johnny Madden. Left to right - (front) – Shane Breen, Isabelle Kelly, Maria Healy, Thomas Donogher, TCFE Principal Dr. Noel Colleran, Clare Ann Nolan, Aine healy
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“The Finest” | Issue Nº 53
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CUSACK COPPER AND BRASS
Paul Cusack is back doing what he does best with Cusack Copper and Brass operating out of their premises in Carrigatoher, past Five Alley, just outside Nenagh on the old R445 Limerick Road. Paul Cusack has recently opened up a new showroom area where items that have been polished back to their former glory are now available for sale
to the public. The true beauty of these copper and brass items are in their age and often rarity. Built to last some of the items that Paul Cusack has in his new showroom are over one hundred and fifty years old, yet having been cleaned and polished up now look as good as new and are ready to be purchased and brought to their new homes where they are sure to be passed down through the generations as family heirlooms. In today’s world of mass production it can be hard to find that extra special gift for a family member that they will treasure forever. Cusack copper and brass offer you the opportunity to find a gift this Christmas that will outshine any store bought item and will bring the heritage of Ireland’s past into your home.
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Cistercian College presents
Following on from last year’s excellent production of ‘the Addams Family’ the students of Cistercian College followed a different operatic route this year in staging Claude – Michael Schonberg’s ‘les Misérables’. This year’s production was the 93-school opera since the College was founded in 1905. Under the ever watchful and experienced eyes of musical director Mr William Cullagh, Producer Ms Aoife O Neill and Director Sarah Allen, the cast, crew and orchestra delivered an incredible performance each night receiving standing ovations from all in attendance. Over the last 10 weeks, a lot of time and effort has been invested by the 70 students who helped bring Les Mis to Cistercian College. From the students in lead roles to cast members, stage crew, ushers and members of the orchestra, everyone played an important part in making the production such a memorable occasion. The annual Opera is a very important part of the Cistercian College school calendar. It gives students with an aptitude for acting, singing and drama a fantastic opportunity to showcase their talents. It also gives parents a chance to discover a skill that they didn’t realize their sons had hidden away! The next event for the Students of Cistercian College is the annual Carol service held at 4pm on Tuesday 16th December, this is held in the Monastery Church and is open to all visitors. This annual event is hugely popular and is always well attended, therefore it is best to arrive and be seated early so as to avoid disappointed! For more info on Cistercian College visit www.ccr. ie or follow the Cistercian College Facebook page.
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“The Finest” | Issue Nº 53
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HEATHER GORDON ULTRA AFRICA Ultra Africa is part of a series of races run by Canal Aventure; an organisation born from the passion for adventure and the belief that sport is a vector for meeting and universal sharing. The races are entirely self-supported, which means each competitor must carry all their food, gear & equipment that they need for the 5 days, with only a space in a tent & limited water supplied by the organisers. There are no showers, toilets, chairs, tablets or technology - camp life is completely basic and strips runners of every day comforts. “I loved living so simply”, Heather comments. “I never wanted for anything or tired of living with just the basic necessities; life is straightforward!” Temperatures averaged between 30-35degrees each day, with 60-80% humidity. Competitors ran on beaches beside the powerful Indian Ocean, through small villages, around beautiful lakes and on soft sand tracks and covered distances of between 35-54km each day.
Local vegan runner Heather Gordon has returned from Mozambique, where she competed in Ultra Africa; a 5 day 220km self-supported race in which competitors run from Nhambavale Lake in Chidenguele to Jangamo Beach. After successfully completing a similar race in Chile last year, the Atacama Crossing, Heather decided to enter Ultra Africa. The winner of the Atacama Crossing, Zandy Mangold, came on board as Heather’s coach in January, and they have worked closely together all year to prep for Ultra Africa. “Having Zandy as my coach has been incredible and has taken my running to the next level. He is an accomplished ultrarunner and he is also vegan, so both my training & nutrition has been incredibly fine-tuned, and I have learned so much from him this year”, Heather says. “I felt ready for Ultra Africa; calm and confident in my training and ability to compete”.
“It’s very difficult to ‘sum up’ the whole experience”, Heather explains. “You would never get to travel to or experience the places we did, unless you do this race, as there is no tourism and the majority of locals have never even seen a white person before. The local people have a warmth and genuine nature that I think we have lost in the Western World. They give without expecting to receive in return, they have a gentle innocence, a true sense of community, a vibrant spirit and an infectious sense of joy.” Heather was proud to be the sole representative for Ireland and placed 2nd Lady and Top 5 overall. “I was surprised to do so well!”, she says. “I was confident in my training, but I was competing against some incredibly experienced, top-class athletes, so it was an honour to finish in the Top 5”.
Heather would like to thank GreatOutdoors.ie, Near to Nature & McCabe Physiotherapy for their continued support. Also to local Paddy Maher (Sports & Injury Clinic) who provided regular sports massages to keep Heather in top shape for racing. Heather is already back training and has a busy race schedule for next year, with her first race being in Italy in April. “I had an incredible experience in Africa, and also learned loads about myself as a runner. I’m looking forward to next year, as I will continue to work with Zandy and work towards new running goals”. Photo credits: Gabriel Pielke for Canal Adventure and are subject to copyright.
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ADULTHOOD-UNCERTAINTY, ANXIETY, SOCIAL MEDIA AND THE QUEST FOR Y I was fifteen a lot of my friends were in college. Thus, I’d always be confused about why they were always so stressed out, especially those headed into college. Sure, there was the lack of money but they usually made it through. It wasn’t until I got older that I realised it wasn’t what they were doing but what they had to prove. The stress of reaching adulthood is realising just how quickly time goes by. You were once a kid, you blinked, and suddenly you aren’t anymore because now you’ve got something to prove to yourself. Everyday you’re getting a little bit older and suddenly time turns from a luxury to a necessity. How do I balance it all? Work, ambition, family, relationships.
It was freezing. The frost lay haphazardly adorned across the street, covering entire buildings and pathways with its crystal sheen but completely sparing others. It was as if a drunken painter had begun to create his masterpiece but then promptly passed out before he even got close to finishing it. The sharp chimes of my chattering teeth echoed down the street as I walked. The silence of winter always had a fleeting quality. A quality I both admired and hated. The cold would pass but not without making its presence known, it would kick and scream before being smothered by the warm breeze of spring. It was almost sad. I saw my friend nestled underneath the orange haze of a street light, the soft blue of his phone screen briefly illuminated his face. It stood out in the bleak darkness of night and like a moth to a flame I quickly reached him. We walked slowly, enjoying the lull of life as we talked. Conversations seemed to blend together- girls, money, family, existence; a melting pot of teenage ideals. Finally, we settled into an empty section of town, he sat perched on top of a wall. I chose to lean against it. I never liked situations where I don’t know what’s behind me; paranoia had always been an affliction of mine. Silence. Neither of us spoke. Seconds crawled by slowly becoming minutes. More silence. After a while he sighed and said “The heck are we doing here man.” “What you mean?” I replied, slightly shocked. He paused. The silence continued to stretch. Finally, it snapped once more “I mean, what are we here for, what the heck are we doing? We’re just doing what we’re told to, but what we’re told to do isn’t what we’re meant to- but then how do we know what we’re meant to do, it’s like a fucking loop, I mean shit, we’re gonna be eighteen soon and then what?” I stood there dumbfounded. This subject never really came up, I mean it did, but never like this. Never this blunt. I had no idea what to say. So I panicked and said the first thing that came to mind. “I guess that’s the quest for Y.” “The quest for why? You mean like why we’re here?” he said giving me an amused look as he struggled to calm himself down. “Nah man the quest for Y, like the alphabet, see everyone is looking for what to do before the end, the last letter of the alphabet is Z, so people are just trying to figure out what to do before that happens, it’s not just the question of what to do with life but
the quest to find out before the end, the quest for Y.” He burst out laughing. “What?” I said defensively. “That is either really deep or really stupid, and you know what? I can’t tell which it is.” “Maybe it’s both,” I replied with a smile. He looked up at the scattered stars twinkling in the sky, each one seemingly brighter than the last. “Yeah man, maybe it’s both.”
Two years later, I’ve turned eighteen and am no closer to finding out what this all means. My quest for Y continues. I’m strangely more creative, more confident and more hopeless than I’ve ever been. I think the problem lies in how we characterise adulthood. All my life I’ve been told about what it is to be ‘a man.’ You must never show weakness but always use your strength. Put others before yourself but do everything you can to get ahead. Take care of those around you but deny any help because society associates help with weakness. Are you starting to notice a contradiction here? If you do, congratulations! You win today’s social discourse award. Anyway, because of this traditionalist viewpoint I falsely thought adulthood would be like a glove that I’d just slip into. Maybe I’m just naïve but I thought things would just change, I didn’t know how but I just assumed they would. Instead I found that adulthood is like being pushed off a bridge. You’re free-falling and clawing at the air in search for meaning as you fall. Sex, relationships, money, faith, family, hopes, dreams, love, identity. All these things and many more fall with you. It’s a jarring beautiful mess. Yet often this period is marred with anxiety. When
Do I need to sacrifice one of these to achieve my dreams? Are my dreams even achievable? These spiralling questions are often the first steps in the quest for Y. Ultimately all this uncertainty can be boiled down to two questions. ‘Why am I here?’ and ‘What does it all mean?’ Everybody is in a race to achieve their dreams and you can feel like you aren’t moving fast enough. It’s often at this point that a lot of people feel burnt out or become disillusioned. You’ve spent so many years simply consuming knowledge but rarely grasping an understanding of it. You have information but you feel uninformed. Suddenly you start to question it all and without realising it you’ve already conceded to taking part in the quest for Y. At last we reach the part where I discuss the influence of social media in all of this. Now I’m not going to be a hack who completely blames social media on all the follies of man. Still, I won’t
absolve these platforms from the parts they have played. In my jaded eyes, social media isn’t a sickness, it’s a symptom of our inability to connect. We’ve created connection through disconnection. Intimacy through shielded interaction. The general increase in the use of social media has only increased the intensity in the quest for Y. Social media creates the façade that people (myself included) know what they are doing with their lives. The constant stream of pictures, status updates and general posts create the illusion that other people are doing something, even if that something is inconsequential in the grand scheme of things, at least it’s something. Social media gives you the illusion that everybody is moving while you are stuck in place. Although this perception is completely inaccurate; even if everybody knows what they are doing with their lives there is nothing wrong with not knowing. Realising who you are isn’t an all-or-nothing game. Who
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you are is subject to change, not just from a maturity standpoint but from a value standpoint. When I was ten I wanted to be a pilot because I valued the money and respect that people gave pilots. Now I’m eighteen and I want to be an artist because I value the personal freedom that it gives me more than money or status. We live in a capitalist structure that incentivise you to be happy and plan out your entire life because that is what is best for the market. The market wants you to be happy only because sadness tends to not be as productive or profitable; your happiness generally increases productivity which makes it desirable. In addition to this companies have realised that they can exploit the pursuit of happiness by selling you a lifestyle rather than a product. I believe that this economic pressure for happiness creates a social pressure because by being sad or feeling that you have no idea what you’re doing only heightens your sense of being out of place. The more you think about why you aren’t ‘progressing’ as fast as you think you should be, the more anxious you get, the more isolated you feel. Finally you may feel yourself desperately trying to find meaning in the quest for Y. Adulthood becomes defined by a search for meaning while happiness seems hollow because of it’s commodification by market. I think this is wrong. Adulthood shouldn’t be an endless search for meaning. It should be defined by understanding. You shouldn’t question who you are, because who you are is subject to change. Understanding ourselves at different points in our life is far more important; maybe then we can look at ourselves and not ask ‘Why am I here?’ and “What does it all mean?” but instead ask ‘What do I want to do here?’ and ‘What do I want it to mean?’ I’m not saying we should abandon all existential thinking or even question if there is such a
thing as destiny. I’m saying that the quest for Y is bullshit. There is no Y. There’s just you and me and everyone in-between. Our search for meaning shouldn’t be based on “Why we think we exist?” but instead “What we want our existence to mean?” Maybe then we can find meaning in perceived meaninglessness. Adulthood shouldn’t be a desperate search for a well-defined meaning. It should be a messy, fractured understanding of yourself. Everybody’s reality is a slightly different one, the way we view the world varies from person to person. You might read this and think “this is really stupid.” The person beside you might think “this is really deep.” Maybe I’m wrong. Maybe you’ll smile and think it’s both.
Article and photographs by Ikenna Anyabuike
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“The Finest” | Issue Nº 53
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Maria introduced this opportunity to all of her athletes including friend and IMFit business partner, Iryna Shcholokova. Being separated by an ocean, meant that Iryna would be prepping online which makes the process that much harder. Iryna however, demonstrated a very high level of discipline and focus necessary for success. Iryna completed a 12-week competition prep which consisted of daily cardio, strength training and diet.
ROSCREA RESIDENT WINS GBO BEACH BODY CHAMPION GOLD MEDAL AT GBO GATOR CLASSIC 2018 Trainer Maria Barnes became the FIRST GBO Figure Professional Athlete in October 2015. Since then Masha is prepping the athletes for GBO shows. The first idea to make our own GBO show in Florida came when several athletes from my team were looking for competition opportunities. The Global Bodybuilding Organization offers a family first, athlete friendly atmosphere where everyone is treated and judged fairly. It also provides many opportunities for growth within the organization, making it the perfect place to bring my competitors. We watched GBO grow into a truly GLOBAL organization with 24 countries represented at
their Mr and Mrs Atlas competition this year. Because of a strong belief in the philosophy of the Global Bodybuilding Organization, we saw an opportunity to bring GBO to Florida. In July of 2018, we were accepted onto the contest schedule as the 1st Annual Gator Classic show to take place on December 1st of 2018. Our goal was to prepare a show according to the ideals of the GBO where each athlete feels like part of a family and has personal respect and attention to their story.
When the competition day arrived, Irina had the opportunity to step on the GBO stage and show off the results of her hard work. She displayed the physique and confidence of a champion. Although everyone on stage also worked very hard and was in great shape as well, Iryna was chosen by the GBO judging panel as not only the winner of her class (classes for the Beach Body division are separated by the height of the competitors), but was also named the overall women’s beach body champion at the GBO Gator Classic 2018 and earned her status as a new GBO professional athlete allowing her to compete on the MR and Mrs Atlas stage in 2019!
Congratulations Iryna! As you can see it does not matter where you live, how old you are or what level of sports experience you have. If you are committed and want to reach your goal, with the right plan in place and the willingness to put in the work, 100 % is possible, 100 % at the time!!! So, if you want to change your life for the better, lose weight, tone your muscles and be healthy and
happy contact IMFit! Ireland representative Iryna +3530873108283 FaceBook page IMFit For more information about the Global Bodybuilding Organization, visit www.gboonline. com.
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“GO GO GO
Oliver Adlum was top class in his role as Pharoah and stole the show on occasion with his brilliant Elvis numbers! The memorable solo singing and beautiful choral harmonies are testimony to the great work done by musical directors Pat Marnane and Fran Garry. Director Therese Maher did a polished job with both principals and chorus. Stage managers Ms Martina Butler and Ms Norma Galvin ensured that everything ran smoothly - in and around the new ‘open plan - three tiered “ stage design this year. Costumes (Ms Aileen Cashman) were authentic and colourful, sets and artwork were very impressive (Mr Martin Burke , Ms Mary Byrne , Mr Rory Purcell)
Joseph”
An Absolute “Dream”!!
It was full houses and standing ovations all round for Our Lady’s fantastic production of “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat” in Templemore. Audiences at each performance were left singing, clapping and wanting more! This show is, of course one of the most enduring ones of all times (2018 marks its 50th anniversary!) Suffice it to say that if Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice had themselves been in the audience they would undoubtedly have been impressed by what they saw!! The chorus singing was strong and animated. The choreography was as challenging as it was delightful with all three chorus groups performing with energy and confidence. The harmonies were excellent - especially in the big numbers like “Jacob and Sons”, “Go Go Go Joseph” and “Joseph’s Coat”. The inclusion of over forty 5th and 6th class students from local primary schools made for a memorable opening scene with Joseph singing that famous number “Any Dream will Do”. It certainly gave that “Aw- factor” and the children looked like they we’re enjoying every minute of being on stage. All the principals were well cast and gave strong performances - as we’ve come to expect from Our Lady’s shows. Ben Collins in the lead role as Joseph was simply superb! His singing, acting, interpretation were top - class. No stranger to big roles, this one particularly suited him perfectly and his beautiful singing of “ Close Every Door” left audiences “wowed”!! The wealthy Egyptian Potiphar (played by Jack Nevin) brought charm and humour to the show. Jack oozes stage presence and it was obvious he enjoyed his role. Jack also plays the role of Simeon (one of Joseph’s eleven brothers) His “Benjamin Calypso” song was a real show - stopper -with
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lots of energy and fun! Emma Grant (another experienced performer) was very convincing as the “ beautiful but evil” Mrs Potiphar. A show like “Joseph” of course relies very much on how well the story is told. In this regard, Our Lady’s production was in safe hands with exceptional performances by all five narrators (Claire Maher, Niamh Dunne, Sinead Ryan, Aisling Meehan and Ciara O Brien.) They relayed the story with clear singing, beautiful harmonies and warm expression. Shane Ryan gave a great performance as Jacob and Joseph’s brothers were super with strong singing and acting. This “band of brothers” certainly gave a convincing and at times very comical performance. Their big numbers proved very popular with audiences - “Those Canaan Days” (solo part well sung by Adam Sage) and “One More Angel in Heaven” ( Lovely singing also from Daniel Tuohy). The remainder of the
brothers are played by Jonah Ryan, Kyle Whela , Oliver Adlum, Tomas Gleeson, James Grey, Beni Varadi, Colm Gleeson, Jack Nevin and Eoin Kelly - many of these are only first and second year students!) Jennifer Sargeant (as the baker) and Aoife Shelley (the butler) sang their solo pieces faultlessly. Great credit is due to director / choreographer Therese Maher for her wonderful choreography throughout. All dance moves were executed with confidence and ease - the mega mix at the end of the show was brilliant. Special mention here must go to the brothers wives whose lovely singing and acting was complemented by their graceful dancing (in particular for “One More Angel” and the tango in “Those Canaan Days”) The wives were played by Anna Ryan, Aoife Shelley, Rachael Burke, Emma Grant , Caitlin Black , Coloma Carnicer Stone , Caroline Cormack, Naomi Conlon, Leah Walsh, Laura Fogarty and Geena Quinlan.
The standard of musical theatre in Our Lady’s is certainly going from strength to strength and this is due in no small way to the dedication and commitment of music teachers Ms Anne Marie Johnston and Ms Emer O’Callaghan. Sincere congratulations and thank you to all the cast, crew, production team, supportive staff and students under the guidance / co-ordination of Ms Anne Marie Johnston for - yet again - another wonderful show!!
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“The Finest” | Issue Nº 53
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ROSCREA GIRLS RUGBY
2018 could only be described as a very successful year for Roscrea Girls Rugby. The Girls side of Roscrea rugby club is only in existence since September 2017, when a hand full of Girls and coaches held their inaugural training session. Now only 18 months later such has been the interest and momentum that the club can now enter Girls teams in u8s, u10s, u12s and u14 blitzes. The project to get more girls playing rugby is the mastermind of Roscrea Girls Rugby manager Ciara Maher. It is her holistic approach towards integrating and encouraging players that has attracted such a large number of girls to a sport that is traditionally more popular with Boys. This year, the players have competed in numerous Rugby Blitzes playing against other girls’ teams from around the country. They have also enjoyed many social occasions with the highlight, a trip away to an International Rugby Match where they met players from both teams after the game.
A Halloween fancy dress disco, training days with former Irish International Nora Stapleton, a summer tag rugby programme, a girl’s awards ceremony and bring a friend to training days have all helped to develop enduring friendships and The coaching team at Roscrea Girls Rugby which comradery within the group. include parents, former players and a leinster branch referee focus on providing a friendly and fun environment for learning the basics of the sport. The beauty of rugby is that it is for everyone, you only have to look at any game of Rugby to see the great physical diversity of those playing. Roscrea Girls Rugby Manager Ciara Maher says “Our mission is to provide the Girls of the area with somewhere they can go to train, to play and to be part of a close-knit team. At every level Sport helps the social and personal development of all those involved.” She continued “We are always looking for new players to give it try, from any age of 6 and over, we will welcome them into the group”
Training every Sunday Morning at 11am, for more details contact Ciara on 087 2024936 or message The Roscrea Girls Rugby Facebook page.
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Ballyskneach Athletic Club
CHRISTMAS COMES EARLY FOR LUCKY €20,000 KILLAVILLLA AFC LOTTO WINNER
Over the last number of months there has been an increased presence of ticket vendors for the local Killavilla AFC club lotto. Representatives of the club have made a concerted effort to bring their local club draw back in front of the local community to highlight all of the positives that the club offers to the community. Punters can buy a ticket for just two euro and have to choose four correctly drawn numbers to win the jackpot. The scheme had been advertised as ‘pick four, drop two’ over the last number of years. One lucky local winner recently
Senior training
Strength and conditioning training continues on Monday night at 7.30pm in Roscrea Rugby Club. Please bring a mat and water. Training will continue on Wednesday night in Ballyskneach GAA field at 7.30pm for as long as weather permits.
Juvenile training
Training for over 7’s continues on Wednesday nights at 6.30pm in Mount Saint Joseph’s sports hall.
Well done
Well done to all our juvenile athletes who competed in Cushinstown indoor open sports competition. Congratulations also to one of our members who came 2nd in their event on the day.
Well done to our juvenile athletes who competed in the indoor sports competition in Cushinstown.
2019 Dublin city Marathon
A training group is to be formed for those interested in preparing to run in next year’s Dublin City Marathon. Please contact Seamus Hoyne if you require more information.
Upcoming events
December 2nd Offaly Juvenile Mini League in Tullamore Harriers 11am to 2pm All our juvenile members are encouraged to attend.
Club information
Please check Facebook or our WhatsApp for up to date club information.
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broke the 193 week rollover and scooped a massive €20,000 in the club draw. Timmy Healy who would be known locally for his dart throwing prowess with multi league winning team Jack’s Bar chose four correct numbers and collected his big cheque at a live presentation at Delahunty’s public house on Main street, Roscrea. Local fundraising often involved many hours of hard and thankless work for clubs in the area who are all trying their best to provide the people of the town with facilities for the young people to train in.
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LARGE NUMBERS OF DIESELS BEING IMPORTED
Vehicle history and data expert CARTELL.IE reports on the profile of vehicles being imported into Ireland in 2018 and reports that Irish buyers are importing diesel vehicles in significant numbers. Cartell.ie tracked the imported fleet in 2018 (all vehicles) between January 1st and September 30th (3 quarters) and found that the vast majority (76%) of vehicles currently imported into Ireland are diesel aspirated. There has also been a significant jump in the numbers of Petrol/Electric Vehicles (+193%) and Electric Vehicles (+148%) over the past 12 months indicating these vehicles are finding their feet in the Irish market. Graph 1: 2018 (Jan to Sep) Imports by Fuel Type (All vehicles) (Source: Cartell Carstat)
Table 1: 2018 and 2017 (Jan to Sep) Imports by Fuel Type (All vehicles) (Source: Cartell Carstat) Year of DIESEL PETROL Sale/Fuel Type 2018 74042 17207 2017 71483 16181
PETROL/ELECTRIC
ELECTRIC
3502 1810
529 357
PETROL/PLUGIN HYBRID ELECTRIC 803 130
In terms of the manufacturer breakdown Ford returns the most numbers of vehicles (all types) imported in 2018. Ford is followed by Volkswagen and Audi with Toyota occupying fourth positon. Table 2: 2018 (Jan to Sep) Imports by Manufacturer (All vehicles) (Source: Cartell Carstat) AUDI TOYOTA 6662 6578
BMW HYUNDAI MERCEDES BENZ 6202 5406 5254
The most popular model imported year-to-date is the VW Golf ahead of the Ford Focus. Table 3: 2018 (Jan to Sep) Imports by Model (Source: Cartell Carstat) Year of GOLF Sale/Model 2018 4356
FOCUS
QASHQAI PASSAT
520
4124
2459
2254
2409
old vehicle was more popular that year. The most popular vehicle segment for imports is the C segment followed by the D segment – the same as for 2017. Table 4: 2018 (Jan to Sep) Imports by Registration Year (Source: Cartell Carstat)
Makes and Models Imported
Year of Sale/Manu- FORD VW facturer 2018 11990 10583
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Registration Year Imported and Segment In 2018 the most popular year of import is a 4 year-old-vehicle (2014) neck and neck with a three-year-old vehicle (2015). These ages were also the most popular in 2017 although a three-year-
Year of Sale/ Registration Year 2018
2014 2015 2013 2016 2012 2017 2011 17427 17418 11373 9215
8458 6901 6243
Table 5: 2018 (Jan to Sep) Imports by Segment (Source: Cartell Carstat) Year of Sale/ C D Segment 18523 9012 2018
C-SUV B 7967
7551
E PREMI- D PREMIUM UM 6868 6313
John Byrne, General Counsel, Cartell.ie says: This snapshot of the Irish markets shows the Irish buyer is especially keen to import a diesel vehicle, usually a three or four-year-old and often a Focus, Golf, or Qashqai – models which have been consistently popular in the domestic market. The jump in the numbers of Electric Vehicles and Plug-In Hybrid Electric Vehicles being imported shows that buyers of those types of vehicles can see the value of importing and also points to a growth in the market for those vehicle types. Overall we would see imports remaining strong until at least the due date for Brexit next in March 2019.
SPECIAL AWARD CEREMONY AT THE TRACK BAR
In the build up to Christmas members of The Track Bar darts team gathered together to make a very special presentation to members of their team and a Nenagh based businessman. To add to the glitz and glamour at the ceremony James Collins Mayor of Limerick also attended the presentation with Jerry O Dea.
Legendary local dart thrower William O’Connor was presented with a special commemorative plaque for his achievement in defeating Michael Van Gerwen during a competitive match. The Track Bar darts team members were delighted with Willie’s performance and wished to honour their fellow team member in recognition of his achievement. Another Limerick legend Connie Finnan was also presented with a special award at the ceremony
on the night for his amazing 9 dart finish during a special fundraising match in aid of the Milford Hospice. It only goes to prove that even during a friendly fundraiser that the drive to compete at the highest level is found among the dart throwers in the area. Finally the Track Bar team also presented Trevor Keegan with a special plaque for his generosity in sponsoring the Track Bar team through his chain of vaping businesses at Vapourpal. Trevor was delighted to have received the presentation. The Track Bar team were honoured to have had the Mayor of Limerick, James Collins take the time out of his busy schedule to attend their award presentation ceremony.
John Devlin with James Williams, Trevor Keegan, Mayor of Limerick James Collins and Cllr Jerry O’Dea
Connie Finnan with Trevor Keegan and Willie O Connor
“The Finest” | Issue Nº 53
www.thefinest.ie
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IRELAND’S MOTORING JOURNALISTS CROWN THE VOLVO XC40 AS IRISH CAR OF THE YEAR 2019
The Irish Car of the Year Awards in association with Continental Tyres took place recently, at the Gibson Hotel, Dublin. Motoring journalists from print, online and broadcasting hosted a gala black tie event attended by Ireland’s leading car brands, importers, distributors and other motoring dignitaries. The Volvo took the top award with its XC40 model which was also named as Irish Compact Crossover of the Year category winner.
The category winners: Ford Focus
Irish Small / Compact Car of the Year 2019
SEAT Arona
ICOTY Committee member Bob Flavin said: “Congratulations to the Volvo XC40 for winning through from a field of some 48 new models launched this year on the Irish market.”
Tom Dennigan of Continental Tyres said about the awards: “The choices of the Irish Car of the Year jury provide a great helping hand to Irish consumers in navigating their way through the bewildering array of high tech vehicles that are launched in Ireland ICOTY Committee member Mark Gallivan each year and in this regard, Continental is said: “What a wonderful array of cars we had delighted to be associated with the Irish Car in this year’s competition, it was a very tight of the Year awards.” race and the XC40 is a very worthy winner.”
Apart from the Innovation category award winner, the nine other category winners were all in the running for the top honour with the judging panel of some 33 journalists electing the Volvo XC40 by a very slim margin. The 2018 Irish Car of the Year award was won by the Peugeot 3008. The Mercedes Benz Sprinter was voted as Irish Van of the Year 2019.
Irish Small Crossover of the Year 2019
Volvo XC40
Irish Compact Crossover of the Year 2019
Skoda Karoq
Irish Medium Crossover of the Year 2019
Volkswagen Touareg
Irish Large Crossover of the Year 2019
Mercedes Benz CLS
Irish Executive / Premium Car of the Year 2019
Ford Fiesta ST
Irish Hot Hatchback of the Year 2019
BMW M5
Irish Performance Car of the Year 2019
Nissan Leaf
Irish Green / Efficient Car of the Year 2019
Nissan Leaf E Pedal
Irish Car of the Year Innovation Award 2019
The Irish Car of the Year committee: Bob Flavin, Mark Gallivan, Eoin Treacy and Martin McCarthy.