Clonroche/ Poulpeasty
1916 COMMEMORATIONS
A 1916 commemorative stone was unveiled last Wednesday evening, July 13, in the beautifully manicured Millennium Park in Clonroche at a remembrance ceremony which got under way at 7.30 p.m. A well drilled colour party, 10 in number, one of them a woman, marched two abreast up through the village towards the park, led by Joe O’Brien from Enniscorthy, bearing the national tricolour.
A rendition of ‘Mise Éire’ on the uillean pipes by local musician Eanna Harrington marked the start of the event, the colour party having marching into the park and forming a guard of honour at the recently erected 1916-2016 commemorative stone.
Clonroche Development Association Vice-Chairman Joe Kehoe welcomed everyone present and told of the work involved in this event from the decision taken at an earlier monthly meeting to go ahead and get a 1916 commemorative stone for Clonroche, it being the centenary year of the Rising. Chairman Lorcan Dunne was unavailable due to totally unforeseen circumstances.
Joe thanked the person who donated the stone and all who contributed to the efforts to source the stone, Bill Murray, Martin Kelly and Tom Furlong, those Fás workers and Mick Cogley who collected and delivered it to and from Mick Delahunty for sandblasting and inscription and Mick Cogley and Darren Buckley who mounted it in the Millennium Park all done with unbridled enthusiasm.
MC for evening, Tom Furlong, addressing the gathering in Irish and English, called for the Tricolour to be taken to half-mast for the remembrance ceremony, Darren Buckley obliged. Fr Bernard Cushen then addressed the attendance, said prayers for all those who died in 1916 and blessed the stone. MC Tom Furlong called on John Fleming, local area County councillor, to say a few words.
John thought it was a very good idea to have a commemorative stone such as this erected in the community of Clonroche and he paid tribute to the brave men and women of 1916 who attempted to achieve so much against all the odds and who made the ultimate sacrifice. He hoped the stone would get the respect it deserved and would not be vandalised ever. He wished the Clonroche Development Association well, praised them for all the good work they do and wished them all the very best of good luck in Tidy Towns competition this year.
MC Tom Furlong then read the 1916 ‘Proclamation of the Provisional Government of the Irish Republic to the People of Ireland’ after which local national school pupil Eryn Buckley gave a lovely rendition of ‘Grace’ accompanied on tin whistle by another school mate Jamie Cummins. The two girls then took turns to read out their own school proclamation which the pupils had created earlier in the year for their own Proclamation Day in Clonroche NS in which they referred to their hopes and expectations for a better Ireland in the future.
Then a lovely laurel wreath was laid at the commemorative stone by the hard working committe member Diarmuid O’Sullivan. The uileann piper Eanna Harrington was called on to play ‘The Last Post’, The piper sounded ‘Amhrán na bh Fiann’ and all joined with the MC in singing our national anthem. The Vice Chairman Joe Kehoe thanked everyone once again and he invited all present in the Millennium park to the nearby community centre for refreshments.
CLOUGHBAWN AFC
The annual dinner dance and awards night was held in the Dandy Lodge Hotel on Saturday, July 10. It was a very successful year for the club, with the Ladies winning the double league and cup titles, the under-19 men won their league and the Youths runners up in their league.
The following were award winners on the night; Ladies player of the year Tina Cullen, Top Scorer Gina Foley, Goal of the Season Jessica Martin and most improved player Mickela Kennedy.
The Youths awards went to; Player of the year, two players on same votes so joint award to James Dempsey and Daragh O’Connor. Top scorer Kieran Kelly, Most improved player Daniel Dempsey under-19 Player of the Year Kieran Kelly, Top Scorer Tom Cogley and Most improved player Garreth Murphy. B Team Men, Player of the year Stephen Kennedy, Top Scorer Seán Lambert and Most Improved player Patrick Lambert.
A Team Men; Player of the Year Johnny Cullen, Top Scorer Martin Kehoe and Goal of the season Barry Carton.
Gina Foley also won the Wexford Ladies League Top Scorer on Friday night, at a function held in the IFA Centre Enniscorthy, Congratulations to all teams, managers, and mentors for a great season.
The AGM will be held in Clonroche Community Centre on Wednesday night, July 20, at 9.30. All members are asked to attend, New members for the coming season are most welcome.
PATRON AND FIELD DAY
The organising committee wish to thank the following people who helped make it a very successful day, Fr R Cushen PP, readers for the Prayers and Benediction, Fás workers who cut the hedges and cleaned graveyard and to all those who manned the collection buckets, and prepared the field and set up the stalls.
Thanks to all who worked on stalls and sold tickets for the parish raffle, Thanks to those who baked for the cake stall, and also to all who donates items for brica-brac and to those who collected for the same also to sellers of various raffles.