NEWS ROUND-UP
Pilgrimage
The annual parish pilgrimage to Knock will take place on Sunday, July 16. The cost, including the coach and an evening meal, is €50 per adult, which is unchanged from last year.
A non-refundable deposit of €20 is required at the time of booking to secure a place and this can be done at the parish office in Wicklow town between 9.30 a.m. and 12.30 p.m. from Tuesday to Friday. Call 0404 61699.
The pick-up points for those joining the pilgrimage are: O’Mahoney’s garage, Arklow, at 6.30 a.m., Jack White’s at 6.45 a.m., the entrance to the convent in Wicklow town at 7 a.m., Rathnew at 7.10 a.m., Ashford House 7.15 a.m., Newtown at 7.25 a.m., Garden Village, Newtown, at 7.30 a.m. and Kilmacanogue at 7.45 a.m.
Fundraising 24-hour row
Wicklow Rowing Club will hold a sponsored 24-hour row from noon on Saturday, June 3, to noon on Sunday, June 4. The fundraiser is to help raise money to buy a new skiff.
The club will also be holding an open day from 2 to 5 p.m. on the Saturday and anyone who would like to give rowing a go is welcome to come along.
Blessing of the graves
Cemetery Masses and blessing of the graves will take place in Barndarrig at 8 p.m. on Tuesday, July 4; in Three Mile Water at 8 p.m. on Tuesday, July 11; in Castletymon at 8 p.m. on Monday, July 17; and in Rathnew at 7.30 p.m. on Wednesday, July 19.
Information for parents
Wicklow County Childcare Committee are holding a free information session for parents of children who may need additional supports in preschool. There are supports available under the Access and Inclusion Measure ( AIM).
The information session will take place this evening ( Wednesday, May 31) in the Grand Hotel from 7 p. m. to 9 p. m.
To book a place or for further information please contact Judy at 0404 64455 or judy@wccc.ie
Parish fete
Anyone looking for a great, local family-friendly event over the bank holiday weekend is welcome at the annual Wicklow Parish Fete.
The fete takes place from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, June 3, at East Glendalough School. The day will be jam-packed with activities for all ages, including bouncy castles, face painting, game stalls, RC Mad Boys and fire brigade displays to keep the kids entertained. The many stalls will include plants ,‘ Good as New’ clothes, toys, books, bric-a-brac, country produce and cakes.
There will be plenty of hot food and refreshments to enjoy while watching Rathdrum and Wicklow Gymnastics, Moto Trials, East Coast Falconry and woodturning demonstrations, while there will also be live country and folk music.
Entry is only €2, kids go free, and free parking is available. For further updates, visit the‘ Wick low Parish Summer Fe te’ page on Facebook.
Set dancing
Set Dancing Ceili in St. Patrick’s G.A.A. Club, Wicklow in aid of the Martin Family on Friday 23rd June at 9 p.m. Admission €10.
Activeretired
Last Tuesday, after the coffee in the Scout Hall, Jim Callery, from the Department of Environment at Wicklow County Council, gave the members of Wicklow Active Retirement Association a very interesting and informative talk on recycling and food and clothes wastage.
Members were shocked to learn that an average of 200 sacks of clothing were left at the recycling centre in Wicklow every week, some of which still had price tags on them.
He encouraged members to shop carefully: to buy fruit and vegetables unpackaged and meat that is not in plastic packaging, a lot of which is non-recyclable.
Next week, the Bank of Ireland is sending a representative to talk to the group about banking and how they can help members with new technology.
St Pat’s help Tidy Towns
St Patrick’s GAA are supporting Wicklow Tidy Towns in improving the Mall area by cleaning and painting the railings. All material will be provide by Wicklow Tidy Towns.
All club members are invited to volunteer this evening (Wednesday, May 31) to complete the painting of the tops of the railings, the steps railings and the archway.
Club members will meet at 7 p.m. on the Mall. It is expected that all works will be completed tonight.
Anyone who is available to come along is asked to contact Davy Shannon 087 245 3887 to confirm availability.
The club has sent a huge thank you to all who have volunteered previously in preparing and painting the railings.
Toastmasters
If one word was used to describe the last meeting of Wicklow Toastmasters in the Grand Hotel, it would be fun. Although all the speeches were not funny per se, fun permeated the meeting from start to finish, especially the Table Topics session, conducted by Grainne O’Kane.
Ashleigh Tobin spoke about ‘People in glasshouses…’, Caroline Higgins read an extract entitled ‘Living to the very end’ and Zoe Patterson made ‘A Proposal’. Zoe’s Proposal had everyone clamouring for more – more information and more handouts. All in all, a most entertaining night and hugely enjoyed by Toastmasters and visitors alike.
The next meeting is scheduled for Thursday, June 1, at 8 p.m. in the Grand Hotel. Visitors welcome and are not expected to participate.
Bridge notes
GRAND SLAM BRIDGE CLUB The deals this week played by 44 players continued to test the skills of the top and bottom of the pack.
The competition again was a ‘Mitchell’ movement made up of eleven seated pairs and eleven moving pairs. The winners of the moving pairs were Eddie Marie-Therese O’Sullivan and Eddie Kilcoyne, who were ahead of second placed pair of Teresa Ghalainey and Phyllis Cuffe. In third spot were Nell and Michael O’Gorman.
Eddie Kilcoyne is the current President of the Eastern Region of the Contract Bridge Association of Ireland. Last Sunday he presided over a two session competition for the annual President’s prize. The Grand Slam sponsored three pairs of the club membership. Sadly, none of the three brought back any trophies despite their best efforts. It was played with and against many of the Eastern Regions top Master grade players.
In the North-South section of seated players the winning pair were Aeda Walsh and Phil Fox, who were ahead of Maura Kavanagh and Joan Darcy placed second. In third place were husband and wife couple Helen and Tom Gorman.
The revision for novice players, which takes place from 6.30 to 7.30 p.m. before the main competition at 7.30j p.m. in the Dominican Ecology Campus hall, continues to be popular. Last week we were told that it seems to be harder week by week to remember all the guidelines to the bidding process. But the improvement is evident and they still come back for more!
ABBEY BRIDGE CLUB
Four members of the club represented Ireland in the Corn Cairdis International last weekend in Norwich. This competition is an annual event which has been played between Ireland and England for the past 25 years. To date England, have won 16 times to Ireland’s nine.
The Irish team, having taken a commanding lead after the first days play, unfortunately went on to lose to a very strong English side.
The four Abbey Bridge Club players who took part in the International were Cathal Louth, Margaret Walshe, Bernadette Rountree and Mary Flynn.
The Eastern Region (all Wicklow clubs are in the Eastern Region) of the Contract Bridge Association of Ireland have been chosen to host next year’s event which takes place at the end of April 2018.