Killavullen
ST VINCENT DE PAUL
The annual church gate collection will be held after all Masses this coming weekend and your support to this is most appreciated.
Killavullen 45 drive will be held again this coming Sunday, December 8, in Killavullen Community Centre at 8 p.m. All are welcome, no partner required to participate.
Killavullen Community Council would like to thank all those who generously supported their church gate collection last weekend. The annual social will take place on Friday, January 10, 2020.
COMMUNITY COUNCIL LOTTO
The lucky winners for the last week’s have been Seán Dillon in Griffin’s Bar and in the Haven it was Kevin Regan. Thank you all for your support to this fundraiser.
FARMER’S MARKET
Killavullen Farmer’s Market will be hosting a Christmas Market on Saturday, December 14, from 10.30 a.m. till 1 p.m. The annual Festive Evening Market which is incredibly atmospheric and well worth experiencing will be held on Saturday, December 21, from 3 p.m. till 7 p.m.
ART CLUB 2020 CALENDAR
Killavullen Art Club have once again created a most beautiful 2020 calendar which features their work. This year the calendar is being sold in aid of the Nano Nagle Porch in Killavullen Church. Please contact Anne Hartnett or any member of the art club if you wish to buy one. An ideal Christmas gift and a good cause too.
NANO NAGLE BIRTHPLACE
December Events at Nano Nagle Birthplace; booking essential for all events; phone 022 26411; or email secretary@nanonaglebirthplace.
Saturday, December 7: Meditation in Movement Sacred Circle Dance with Mary Hoare pbvm 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. (Registration 9.30 a.m.) €20 incl. tea or coffee; advanced booking required No previous dance experience required. Comfortable clothing and shoes.
Saturday, December 14: ‘Day of Meditation and Relaxation’ Eileen Nash pbvm: Give yourself the Gift of a day away from the busyness and stress of your everyday life. We offer an experience of relaxation and an opportunity to get in touch with yourself, with creation and with God. 10.30 a.m. to 3.30 p.m. (registration 10 a.m.); bring a packed lunch; €25 incl. tea or coffee.
Saturday, December 21: Celebrating the winter Solstice the Nano Nagle Solstice Team, 4.30 p.m. to 6 p.m. €8 incl. refreshments.
CLUBS AND ORGANISATIONS
If you run or host a club in the parish and wish to promote your events or meetings please email killavullennews@gmail.com. There are two very informative websites now active in our parish and worth checking out on a regular basis: killavullenparish.ie/ killavullengaa.com/
GAA CLUB NOTES
DATE SET FOR CLUB AGM – Sunday, December 15, at 5.30 PM in the community centre has been set aside for the AGM of the GAA Club. With loads to reflect on for 2019, and as much again to look forward to, in 2020, we would encourage all club members to attend the AGM.
A club can only be as vibrate as those that participate in it.
Nominations for the following positions are invited from members: chairperson; secretary; treasurer; PRO; Vice-chairperson; Avondhu Board Delegate; Players Representative; Executive Committee Members.
Members may also suggest motions/topics for discussion at the meeting. Nominations/ Suggested Motions need to be received by club secretary (Dan O’Sullivan) by Sunday, December 1. Please note that voting or speaking on motions at the AGM is restricted to paid-up members only.
FORTHCOMING FIXTURES – under-21 Division 2 Cork County Hurling Final is now fixed for December 8 in Pairc Ui Rinn at 6.15 p.m. The competition will be against the winners of the game in Ovens on Tuesday night, between Castlemartyr and Ballinora.
LOTTO – Numbers drawn were 15, 20 and 36. No Winner. The lucky-dip winners were as follows. €50 Michael Walsh – Seller John Beechinor; €30 Denis Canavan – Seller Eileen O’Gorman; €20 Ursula Hanrahan – Seller Denise Hanrahan. The next draw will be in the home of Jerry Deady, Shanakilla (Opposite Griffins Bar, on Tuesday night, December 3, and will be for €1,100
50 YEARS OF SCÓR – At a very nice ceremony, before the Avondhu GAA Convention in Fermoy last Friday night, a plaque was unveiled in Fermoy in memory of Derry Gowan, the man, who had the considerable foresight to set up the annual GAA Scór competitions, celebrating all that is good in Irish Culture.
Derry gave a lifetime of service to the GAA in many different facets of the organisation, and it is especially nice now, that he will be fondly and permanently remembered in the grounds of Fermoy GAA club, his club.
AVONDHU GAA AGM/CONVENTION – Last Friday night, in Fermoy, the AGM of Avondhu GAA took place where the medals for winning the various championship and league programs were presented to the clubs.
The chairman of the board, Barry Ahern gave a very comprehensive and forthright opinion on the state of the GAA in the division. He was followed by his fellow officers, John Courtney as secretary who was able to detail the state of each competition. The number of walkovers was down on the previous year, but so too was the number of clubs entering second teams, which is a worrying trend. John Roche followed on with the report of the treasurer, and this was most assured. John’s report, while displaying the healthy finances of the division, made for sobering reading, with the gate at the games well back, pointing to a decrease in attendances at our games.
STATE OF CORK’S FINANCES: WHERE IS THE SURPRISE – Last Friday evening, the dire state of the finances of Cork GAA was revealed to the media, in advance of the AGM of Cork GAA on December 8 next. The CEO of Cork GAA, Kevin O’Donovan, flanked by Tracey Kennedy as chairperson and Diarmuid Gowen as treasurer briefed the media to announce losses of €559,000. But to this observer, this is no great surprise.
Attendances at games is falling, and falling drastically, quickly. The games are now being played at the wrong time of the year, in inclement weather and the general public can be as informed in their own sitting room, in front of a nice warming fire, via the medium of Twitter and instant feeds, as almost being at the game. The general public like the idea of supporting Cork on a Saturday night, in a round robin Munster Championship programme, but the same general public, are not associating themselves with clubs any more to the same extinct.
The modern GAA club player is different too, and clubs needs better facilities to retain these modern players, better facilities and better trainers and coaches, and a longer playing season, puts a strain on the club finances also.
The clubs draw was back €50,000 on the previous year, but the format of the draw needs refreshing. The participation rates are falling, older people make up the majority of the cohort that are active in the draw, and the draw has lost a bit of its sparkle.
The level of sponsorship revenue was also back, because Cork did not advance to the all-Ireland semi-finals in either senior code, so that harsh reality of economics is biting. But there was good performances for Cork in 2019, and with success at minor and under-20 level, a person is entitled to think, that we are looking more positive a than any time in the last number of years.
Pair Ui Chaoimh in particular needs a good 2020, there has been a plethora of bad news stories about this investment, giving the keyboard warriors an awful lot to hit the QWERTY consoles about.
The landscape that the GAA are pitching into is changing, Cork had an awful lot to offer, the model of greater participation