Oulart& TheBallagh
BEREAVEMENT
The sympathy of the community is extended to Geraldine and Pat Sutton and family, Ballytarsna on the death of Geraldine’s sister, Mary Kate O’Donohoe, Rathimney, Gusserane that occurred on Saturday, April 18. Mary Kate is also mourned by her sisters Margaret and Bridget, brothersin-law, nephews, nieces and her many friends. A private family funeral took place on Monday, April 20, and a memorial Mass will be celebrated at a later date. Solas na bhFlaitheas dá hanam dílis.
REELING IN THE YEARS
For those unfamiliar with the history of GAA in the parish it is interesting to recall that in the 1950s and early to mid-1960s Oulart-The Ballagh’s first team competed in the very competitive junior grade in hurling and first tasted success in the Enniscorthy District Junior final in September 1962.
Their opponents were Duffry Rovers and according to the newspaper report ‘it was a lively, hard-fought game with the issue in the balance till the closing minutes’. The same writer said that ‘Oulart richly merited their victory but the Rovers battled it out gamely to the last.
The game really came alight entering the last quarter when Rovers had cut the lead to two points but they met stubborn resistance from Mylie Ryan, Tony Byrne, Johnny Murray and Tommy Stamp, with the youthful juvenile, Michael Jacob guarding his net in splendid style’.
That two point lead, with less than two minutes left, was increased to eight points when Fred Jeffs burst through the Duffry defence to score two decisive goals to leave the final score – line at six goals seven points to three goals eight points.
The match report continued ‘For the winners Nicky Sutton, Mylie Ryan and James Roche formed a full-back line that effectively sealed off the way to goal. Johnny Murray, Tony Byrne and Tommy Stamp were sound halfbacks while Phil Redmond and Billy Dunne were likewise at midfield.
In the forward line Tommy Rourke showed splendid accuracy both from placed balls and play and Fred Jeffs, who was the battering ram in the attack, took the honours. The Jacob pair, Robbie and Christy put in some grand work, with Paddy Pender and Pat Quigley also doing well. Oulart’s goalie, 16-year-old Mike Jacob, won the plaudits of the crowd for his spectacular saves’.
The team photograph by P. A Crane shows the following subs: Hugh Bolger, Dinny Levingstone, Tommy Leacy, Tony Sutton, Willie Cullen and Jim Doyle. The mentors in the photograph are Bobby Walsh and Robbie Sinnott. Also standing in the photo are former Oulart District winners and county hurlers Paddy ‘Baker’ Murphy and Tom Furlong, Leinster 1940 JH winner.
Many of those above-mentioned stalwarts have gone to their eternal reward since that special day 58 years ago, Solas na bh.
Flaitheas dá n-anamacha, but they and the surviving members of that team created the first rung on the ladder of success that culminated in the unprecedented senior championship victories that have been achieved in recent times.
IMPORTANT CONTACT NUMBERS
With the elderly cocooning and most people being confined to moving only 2km it is important that people are aware of the numbers to ring in an emergency. Oulart Garda Bernard McGinley’s mobile number is 086 8581548. The contact number for the Enniscorthy Garda Station is 053 9242580 and the numbers to ring in any emergency are 999 or 112. The landline for the Oulart Parochial House (parish priest, Fr Paddy Browne) is 053 9136139.
GAA/CAMOGIE HERE TO HELP
Oulart-The Ballagh GAA and camogie personnel are available to help people in the local community with shopping, collecting medications etc or in any other necessary way and assure you that help is only a phone call away. Even with the 2km restriction, a member is always available to help. Contact GAA chairman, Bartle Sinnott (087 2041896), camogie chairperson Patrick Fortune (087 9339950) or Coiste na nÓg chairperson, Liz Freeman (087 7560871) all of whom will make sure you get the help you need.
DOWN MEMORY LANE
Our trip down memory lane this week recalls a Gala Concert with the Garda Band, with special guests Róisín O’Grady (soprano) and John Dempsey (baritone) that was held in the Riverside Park Hotel, Enniscorthy on February 2003, in aid of Oulart Community Centre. Both of these local talented performers have continued to progress their careers in recent years and it is interesting to recall the biographical notes that were on the programme from that concert 17 years ago.
OULART SOPRANO – Róisin O’Grady, Ballincash began her vocal training with Sister Mary Walsh, Loreto Convent, Wexford. She continued her studies in music and Italian at UCC, graduating with a BA honours degree in 2000 and a BMus honours degree the following year.
She studied voice with Robert Beare and piano with Mary Beattie in Cork School of music. She has won numerous competitions in voice and piano in Feis Ceoil and Feis Maitiú. She received voice training in Padua, Italy and sang with the Padua Baroque Choir.
In 2003 she began a two-year Performance Masters at the Royal Scottish Academy of music and Drama, Glasgow. Nowadays, Róisin continues to teach and perform, is married to Marc O’Cathasaigh in Co. Waterford and they have three sons.
YOUNG MUSIC MAESTRO – We must go back to the Echo newspaper of November 28, 1996, to read of a young man with the musical world at his fingertips. It tells us that 16-year-old John Dempsey of Oulart had been invited to become a member of the Senior National Youth Orchestra.
At that time he was studying violin under Alan Cutts at the Wexford School of music. In 2001 he graduated from the Cork School of music where he studied violin with Cornelia Zanidache. And at the time of the Gala Concert the 22-year-old was studying voice with Mary Brennan and Repetiteur Mairead Hurley at the DIT Conservatory of music and Drama.
John won the Joseph O’Mara memorial cup Siemens Feis Ceoil 2002 and he also won the Baritone Solo Competition the previous year. Again in 2002 he competed in and won the Bass Solo Cup in the Ballymena Music Festival.
He has participated in a Masterclass with world-renowned Jamaican Bass-Baritone Williard White. John’s singing and performing career has gone from strength to strength since that Gala Concert and he is much in demand at home and abroad.
WHO WAS SAINT MOCHUA?
The local primary school in Oulart is called Scoil Mochua and the renovated 1798 Chapel is also called St Mochua’s Church. The saint to whom these buildings are dedicated is St Mochua, sometimes known as Mochua Luachra, being a native of the Sliabh Luachra area of Co. Kerry.
The name Mochua is a ‘pet name’ for Crónán, the name of several holy men in early Christian times in Ireland. Crónán or Mochua was successor of Aidan, as abbot of Ferns and may have been the second bishop of our diocese. He died in the year 652 and his feast day is June 22.
A holy well in Killagowan was dedicated to the saint and was known as ‘Tobar Mochua Luachra’. An interesting story for children relates how one of the saints called Mochua had three special pets-a fly, a mouse and a cock (cuileog, luch agus coileach) who helped him in his work.
FREE DELIVERY SERVICE
Corrigans Supermarket, Oulart are offering a free delivery service in the Oulart area. Just have your order in before 2 p.m. for the same-day delivery.
LOCAL NOTES
If you want coverage of your organisation, club or family’s important occasions or successes please contact your Local Correspondent, Breda Jacob by phone, text (086 1686978) or email mickjacobjr@yahoo.co.uk no later than 8 p.m. on Thursday prior to publication. In these difficult days we all need positive stories to cheer us up so if you have any good news to relate we would be more than pleased to include it here. There is no charge for including an item in the Local Notes.