MEMORIES FROM THE ARCHIVES
Politics was a little more physical 21 years ago, as a Fermoy UCD meeting was abandoned after ‘all hell broke loose’. ‘Entertainment’ on the night involved councillors ripping up papers, throwing objects, and an allegation that one member went on to physically assault another. Gardaí were investigating the matter. The row was over the allocation of £14,000 in grants to local organisations, and took place behind closed doors (some would say regrettably!).
A sense of ‘cautious optimism’ was maintained on the fight against Foot and Mouth Disease, as after two weeks the Republic was yet to confirm a case. In an echo of what was to come nearly two decades later, in 2020, the Ballyporeen, Mitchelstown and Fermoy St Patrick’s Day parades were called off to prevent the spread of Foot and Mouth. Cloyne Diocese directed that all Station Masses be cancelled and prayers were to be offered for the duration of the crisis. GAA activity was completely shutdown at East Cork and County Board level, as well as nationally.
A caller to The Avondhu alleged that they had seen a lorry leaking ‘animal guts and mucus’ outside Mitchelstown, and was adamant it was not an isolated incident. They feared that this could have consequences for the Foot and Mouth situation. A report on the crisis contrasted Ireland’s relatively strict procedures with the ‘ much more relaxed regime’ across the pond. An advert on the Agri pages was clear - ‘Don’t travel to Northern Ireland or Great Britain’.
Elsewhere on the front page in early March 2001, recent abduction attempts in Tipperary bled into the area, as a girl in Mitchelstown was followed by a strange car, and three teenagers in Fermoy were approached by a man who spoke to them ‘obscenely’, and offered to buy one of the males a drink in the pub.
In good news, Dave Ryall celebrated after securing a bus service from Ballindangan and Glenahulla to Cork via Mitchelstown. The local was battling for some time to get the trial transport established, stating: ‘ Who says a small man can’t beat the system?’
Over in Lismore, the land adjacent to St Carthage’s House was proposed for a new all-in-one healthcare facility. The land was believed to belong to the Southern Health Board, but the board hadn’t confirmed if they did indeed own it. Elsewhere, the town queried why they didn’t get the same funding that Tallow did for a new playground (£15,000).
The internet was still in its infancy and TheA vondhu 21 years ago announced that myhome.ie had launched a website for house hunters.
Bartlemy native and Garda Irene Walsh was presented with the Commissioner’s medal by Garda Commissioner Pat Byrne for achieving the highest marks in academic subjects; while Killavullen country and western star Edmond O’Gorman visited The Hazel Tree in Mallow to launch his debut album, ‘A Dream Come True’.
The new cross on Kilworth’s church spire atop the Arts Centre was ‘unveiled’ from its scaffolding (so to speak). Meanwhile in Mitchelstown, up in Cloonlough, residents banded together to install a concrete post fence to make the junction at the Glanworth road safer. Also in the town, the newly revamped Paki Fitz’s pub announced a new carvery to the world under the direction of chef Hugh O’Donnell.
In Kilbehenny, the death of Eddie O’Mahony was recalled as his family presented a cup in his memory to the South Limerick Bord na nÓg GAA, for the winners of the South Limerick U14B Championship.
Most sports, including GAA and golf, were suspended with the drive to keep Foot and Mouth at bay. The sports pages in March 2001, therefore, were largely speculation on upcoming fixtures, and other ancillary news, such as the fact that Ballyhooly GAA Club received their new sponsored jerseys from The Roundy House. Clubs used their imagination to fill their weekly reports though, and Mitchelstown Badminton Club’s sports report was mostly pictures of a night out in An Bodhrán.
Hill Albion and Blackstone Rovers FC told of their trip to Celtic Park, where shortly outside Mitchelstown they had to stop so one of their members could ‘throw up the drink he had the night before’!
Some sporting class was retained across the region though, as Fermoy teenager Ronan Corcoran zipped home with the trophy after winning the Northern Ireland Winter Series Championship in go-karting. The 15 year old took part in the high-risk JICA class.
Meanwhile, in the Fermoy Darts League final McCarthy’s Bar, Kilworth were victorious, with The Shamrock Bar in Fermoy as runners-up.
In the Classifieds pages, two separate ads sought 2,000 gallons of milk each to fill a quota, and a reward was offered for information on a large number of sheep missing from the Anglesboro/Kilbehenny area.