|
CAHIR CHRISTMAS SPECIAL
CONGRATULATIONS, CAHIR!
What a terrific Christmas present from the Council. Cahir has won the Most Improved Town prize in the County Environment Campaign / Tidy Town & Villages Awards for 2008.
Everyone in Cahir should take great pride in this achievement, because it could not have been won without the participation of the community as a whole. Major thanks must go to Michael Graham, the Area Engineer, and his Council colleagues who attend all the meetings; to Cllr Andy Moloney (who is also Chairman of Cahir Development Association) for his innovative and practical new approach to Tidy Towns that has brought in many new and active volunteers; and, of course, to Niall Grogan and his Grangemore Landscaping for the immense work that they have done in landscaping and planting all around Cahir. And more to come!
While on this subject, I see that Brownie Points are already being earned for next year‘s competition, as the Council has begun the planned preservation work on Old St Mary’s, in Old Church Street. My dream is that one day a full restoration job might be done by the OPW on this historic site, where both Catholics and Protestants once worshipped under the same roof, albeit with a curtain wall between them. (Do I hear someone saying “dream on”?)
The Awards event will take place on Monday 1st December in Hotel Minella.
VISITORS FROM OUR TWIN TOWN - SCARBOROUGH
As I didn’t manage to meet the school children who had their holiday in Cahir this year, Mike Manning, who now owns The Spa Pub in Scarborough, where all Cahir visitors are made very welcome, (there is a Cahir Corner with loads of photos) sent me the following notes on the trip, and some nice pictures.
“After an horrendous 24 hour journey, the children arrived eventually in Cahir. They left Scarborough at midnight, travelling by coach to Holyhead Ferry Port, where they were told that the high speed ferry was cancelled due to very high seas. The next ferry on which they could travel was a slow one that could not leave until. 4:30pm ,that day.
“By this time they had been on the coach for sixteen and a half hours. Once they were aboard the ferry and half way across, the Irish Sea had a fit of temper and threw the ferry about. All the children and the five helpers were sick, as was nearly everyone else on board. My daughter Samantha was leading the trip and texted me saying ’Dad, this is barbaric’ but praising the other helpers for looking after the kids so well.
“They eventually arrived in Ireland and travelled to Cahir, arriving at the Wishing Well at nearly midnight, 24 hours after leaving home. The children went straight to bed after being greeted by Ann and Liam.
“The children had a fantastic week, visiting Cahir Castle, Mitchelstown Caves, The Vee, Blarney, Killarney, Foto Park, Cork Jail etc. Tom and family gave the children a great afternoon at the Bell, with Packie doing his magic, and Hughie and Margaret at The Shamrock were just wonderful, as always, feeding them on the final evening.
“John Quirke donated medals for the children and Cllr Andy Moloney presented the them - the children thought he was a very important man. Although now retired, Liam and Nancy Simpson were, as always, very special to the children and spoke to them every day.
“After their horrendous start to the trip, they had a wonderful time and a super journey back on the high-speed ferry and calm seas. Thank you all again in Cahir for being so kind to these special children. Thank you to John Boyle at the Coffee Pot & Gift Shop, and to those I have not mentioned.
“Myself, Alisdair and Anne, George and Christine did NOT travel on the coach - we flew over and back. It does help to watch the long-rang weather forecast you know …”
I know that everyone in Cahir sends their best wishes to our friends from Scarborough, who have been visiting Cahir, often several times a year, for many years now. And of course there has been quite a bit of traffic in the other direction too. I am sure there are very few other twinnings that mean so much in so many ways.
Here are some pictures of the children having a great time in Cahir and Cork recently
CHRISTMAS RAFFLES
There are many Draws and Raffles going on around town - too many to mention individually, except for the two Charity Shops.
MRS QUINN’S has an amazing First Prize, in theirs, which is a Pamper Day for Two at Ballykisteen Hotel & Golf Resort!. Lines are €2 each, so get in there - if you’re not in …
ST VINCENT DE PAUL is running its annual Christmas Raffle too, of course, and I know the staff have been accumulating prizes for quite some time.
Both charities make very good use of every penny they raise, so do support them.
A CHRISTMAS MESSAGE FROM THE GUTHRIE FAMILY
"Wishing both sides of our families from Cahir and Ardfinnan and all our friends in Tipperary and Kildare
A Very Merry Christmas and All the Best for 2009!!! Missing ye all so much!!!!
Lots of Love, Eric, Laura, Byron, Ava and Jimmy Guthrie xxxxx "
RURAL ARTS B RING CHRISTMAS MAGIC TO BALLYPOREEN
Liz Ryan is one of Ireland’s finest mezzo soprano’s with a very unique flair to entertain an audience with superb singing and a fantastic sense of humour. Join Liz and piano accompanist Deborah Kelleher in Ballyporeen Hall on Saturday 13th December @ 8.15 pm for a beautifully produced programme for Christmas – a mix of light opera and popular song including Someone to Watch Over Me, O What a Beautiful Morning, Marble Halls, Bless this House and an opportunity to join in with Christmas favourites such as Winter Wonderland, Silent Night, God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen, White Christmas, O’Holy Night and more. Tickets €15 (includes a glass of wine and mince pies) Bookings 087 6320899. Tickets also available locally from Hannah 086 3667453 or at Post Office. Don’t miss this delightful festive evening of music and entertainment on your doorstep.
THE CRAFT GRANARY
This lovely craft shop and art gallery has taken a very special place in the life of Cahir, and once more they are creating and selling beautiful hampers of all sizes, with a percentage of the profit from each one going to Charity. I took advantage of their lovely Christmas Tree and display to take a nice Christmassy photo -
FASHION & FUN AT COLAISTE DUN IASCAIGH
On Thursday, 6th November Colaiste Dun Iascaigh held its first ever fashion show in the College Hall. What a marvelous night of fun and fundraising!”
The compere on the night was former Rose of Tralee, Brenda Hyland and the models were the teachers, pupils, ancillary staff and some young family members.
There was a stunning range of clothes on display, all supplied by Stakelums, Thurles,
Sheehan, Cahir. Minnie Mee, Nest, Jean Junction, Sienna, Wardrobe, Morans Mini & Mom and Cinderella, Clonmel, Golden Threads and Kilkenny Shop, Cashel and finally Mr. Mister, Mitchelstown. With the party season approaching, fashion conscious ladies need not travel beyond South Tipperary to find those perfect outfits for those special occasions. Each stunning outfit was complimented by shoes from McMahons, jewellery from Kilkenny shop, Sienna and Interior Concepts Cahir. Hats on the night were supplied by Teresa’s Hat Hire, Cahir.
The organisers would like to say a huge thank you to Darren Ward Jewellers, Cahir for sponsoring the Best Dressed Lady who attended and to Mr. Mister Mitchelstown for sponsoring the Best Dressed Man. To Brenda Burke who put all the models through their paces and to Bernard O’Brien of New Age Photography for the great array of photographs taken on the night. To the Outback Hair Salon Ardfinnan for the wonderful hair creations and to Niamh Logue, Beauty Consultant, Clonmel for doing the make-up for all our models. Sarah’s Flower Studio sponsored the floral displays on the night and Murial Maguire used her wonderful artistic talent to decorate the stage and ramp for the evening. For all the wonderful spot prizes, food and drink donated on the night by numerous businesses and indivduals our grateful thanks.
Finally, Thanks to everyone who helped to make this night a wonderful success, raising much needed funds for various school activities.
CAHIR CHORAL AT CHRISTMAS
This time of year is always such fun, re-learning old favourites with a few new ones thrown in.
It is hoped that Choral will be singing in Brown Thomas, either Limerick or Cork, on 6th December, but this is to be confirmed. This event is always in aid of Cahir’s St V de P, and if we don’t end up in either BT we will sing in Cahir.
Cahir Choral always sings at the Christmas Service in St Paul’s Church, and at the Farmers’ Market - presumably this will be on 20th December, but the date will be confirmed in the Cahir Notes later on. Of course, there is our performance in St Mary’s Church on 28th December too, which attracts more people each year. There is no charge on this occasion and, for me, it is the perfect end to Christmas.
Next year, we are off to the Nice Choral Festival from 16th to 19th October, and Maureen Ahern, our Musical Director, is organising a few extra days to make the most of the trip. Some lovely visits are planned! And in 2010 it’s the Budapest Choir Festival from 18th to 21st June, with the same extra days as in Nice. The very good news is that these are NOT competitions. If people want to come on these trips, they had better start coming to Choral soon, or they will miss out in a major way.
“HARD DAYS AND HAPPY DAYS”
This is the title of the recent book written by Ed O’Riordan and Karol DeFalco, and is a fascinating history of Skehennarinky National School from 1858 to 2008. A great read and a great gift for history buffs.
NEW BUSINESSES
There are quite a few new businesses open in Cahir now, and congratulations to you all. A completely new name to me is Katherine Hally, who does lazer teeth whitening as well as being the only person in the county trained to fit Advanced and Extreme Lashes. These are applied one lash at a time, and it’s pretty skilled work. See Katherine’s ad for details.
And of course Allure Hair & Beauty has just opened in Castle Street. This is “Steve the Barber’s” new venture, and I am sure it will be as successful as he has been. I had a look around the salon, the lovely upright tanning booth that came from Poland, and the treatment rooms, and was impressed. Shelley, Michelle and Emma are charming, and isn’t it great to see new businesses opening at the moment?
There is a new Coffee Shop in the Business Park now, opposite Casey Tiles and Lonergan’s Hardware: Gretta’s Kitchen. Gretta is open from 8am to 5pm and specialises in delicious Full Irish Breakfasts. She also offers Carvery Lunches, Afternoon Teas and take-aways, including a take-away dinner for when you don’t feel like cooking. Best wishes Gretta.
Jason and Jen are opening the Butler Arms (one-time Castle Arms) on Friday 5th December, which should be quite a night! Good luck and best wishes for continued success.
And I really must congratulate Brian Costigan on what he has done with and for Morrissey’s. It looks stunning and “right” on the outside and he has redesigned the interior with all his know-how so that it works better. It is already very inviting and retains so many lovely features. Happy Christmas to Brian, Baby Bat and everyone else.
LASTLY, I WOULD LIKE TO WISH ALL MY FRIENDS / READERS A VERY HAPPY HOLIDAY, MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A PROSPEROUS AND HEALTHY NEW YEAR. THIS OF COURSE INCLUDES ALL AT SOUTH TIPP TODAY - HAVE A GOOD ONE.
 |
PASSION FOR FASHION
WHAT’S WHERE TO WEAR FOR PARTIES
|
 |
Overall, dresses seem to be the most popular buy this season, many of which can be dressed up for partytime with great shoes and jewellery - and perhaps an ostrich-feather shrug. The same dress might also be worn over footless opaque tights, or skinny jeans, with or without boots, for a more everyday look.
There are some great separates about in every price range, which can be mixed-and-matched, extending their life and giving the wearer several different looks. Not a bad idea in the present financial climate
although, almost everywhere I went, I was assured that there isn’t a recession as far as fashion is concerned.
Most boutiques also show accessories, and it helps when choosing a dress or outfit to try these on too, to check out the finished effect.
Although I had intended to cover the area in two issues, there was so much to see, on which it was worth reporting, that it may take more.
OPERA ON THE SQUARE - FETHARD
This is where I started the search for outfits to tell readers about, and I was spoilt for choice. Something that really pleased me is that there are two young Irish designers represented here (and in one other shop, of which more later) who have unique and exciting looks. They are Joanna Hynes, who was the BT Young Designer of the year not so long ago; and Deborah Veale.
The dresses and separates these young women design have unique styles and immense flair. There are some really exciting and different pieces by them at Opera.
Another label that caught my eye was Eva Linka, from Italy. There was an exquisite purple jersey dress, flowing close to the body, flaring out gently, with the use of clever inserts, to give a lovely swishy look. Such simplicity has to be brilliantly cut to work, and this did.
A top that I liked a lot was by Anne Fontaine. This label can be found in Paris, London and New York and the one I admired is a plain black wrap, with the neck and wrap outlined with white chiffon flowers. Very elegant.
Of course Opera also stocks bags by Lulu Guinness and, to my delight, now has Walford tights which, as far as I am concerned, are the world’s best. Their stay-up stockings are great too, having really wide, lace-covered bands at the top that actually work, and that don’t dig in. Very sexy, and worth every extra cent.
Cashel was next on the list to visit, and my first stop was at GOLDEN THREADS. This is a small boutique with a huge range of reasonably-priced clothes, often seen at local fashion shows. They had some nice separates that will easily convert from dressy to more casual wear, and should not be overlooked.
DAVERN’S came next and I was wowed by some amazing coats and dresses in black, gold or grey. They are by Delacieria & Nicolas, from Spain, and would do for parties, big race days (in the Summer!) or weddings. The charming girls in the shop said that women are no longer buying an outfit for a wedding that would be put away and never worn again, and these Spanish concoctions really illustrate a more general usefulness.
There were also some gorgeous long black dresses with a 20s feel, being made of chiffon with lightly sequinned bodices, the design trailing down towards the skirt - all quite narrow and elegant.
There are also several simple dresses in brown or black satin, with very nice draping that only looks right when using really good material. The simple elegance of these dresses is what really caught my eye.
JOAN’S, just up the road from Davern’s, is soon to change its name, as Caroline O’Donnell has owned is since August of last year. Caroline has kept the quality and look that Joan went in for, while buying for a younger clientele as well.
This year, she finds that people want dresses much more than before, and she stocks James Lakeland (an Italian label, believe it or not) which is very popular. Also from this label were some great evening trousers, fairly wide, with interesting sequinned gros grain detail.
As Caroline also has a wide range of separates, I spent a long time there checking them out. Tops in peacock colours caught my eye, and some very different and attractive skirts. You could definitely create your own look, here. And this is where I found the ostrich feather shrug.
I was shown some evening jeans from Robell, with diamanté detail. Caroline stocks this German label as they only make ladies’ trousers, which are all really good, with a great fit.
I think my Number One here was a Chanel-like jacket in a coarse silver and black weave, beautifully finished with great detailing. I would love to wear this over an LBD, or with a polo and trousers - a great look and immensely useful. The jacket is by CCDK, of Denmark.
To finish off your outfit, “Joan’s” has some lovely bags and also leather gloves in all sorts of colours, including matching suede bags and gloves, which are very smart and very now. This boutique also stocks the young Irish designers Joanna Hynes and Deborah Veale, that I had seen in Fethard. In this shop they are pretty much at the top of the price range, while at Opera they are lower down on the price scale.
Back home to Cahir, there are now only three fashion shops, the others having fallen by the wayside. All three have a long history - SHEEHANS, being in the hands of the third generation of the family, is the oldest.
Anyone who knows this shop is well aware that they have to keep a close eye on its merchandise. Johnny Sheehan buys cleverly and pops up to Dublin on a regular basis, bringing back just a few pieces in any one style.
When I looked in, my attention was caught by a dress by L’Asiea, that has dramatic inserts of contrasting wide and narrow black stripes, a narrow shape and a slightly puff-ball skirt. I know it sounds peculiar, (and very hard to describe) but it is great. There were also some simple black dresses in different styles, evening coats and a lovely black lace-on-grey jacket, as well as a good range of separates.
KLASSY LADY next, where I saw some lovely tops: black lace over oyster satin; black and cream satin-like material with diamanté buttons, flatteringly gathered below the bust; black lace with red detail and a boat neck; a particularly nice cream and gold Avalon top that had a crunchy effect.
There are also some nice bustiers, some great straight-leg black trousers by Pomedora and, I was delighted to find, a Canadian designer called Molly Jo whose attractive tops are available in all sizes.
The pick of the lot, as far as I was concerned, was from the Spanish house Drys (pronounced Dorsy): a 3-piece outfit with a ‘peacock green’ (emerald?) top and cami with a gorgeous black skirt. This was totally irresistible. There are other outstanding pieces from this house that must be seen to be appreciated, as they use great materials, some with an amazing sheen, including a to-die-for shimmering organza-like jacket over a long dress.
Another label that is new to me is Arabe (Young Libra), with some very desirable, multi-purpose pieces. My attention was also caught by a black shrug by Libra and a lovely purple Pomadoro dress with a matching jacket that has a knitted effect.
The accessory that I liked the most was a pair of clip-on fur cuffs - great fun! They would look amazing with a black sweater, for instance.
RICH RAGS, in Castle Street, finished off this part of the tour. As I entered the shop I was completely taken by a Medici jacket on a stand - it is sequinned in peacock colours and has to be seen to be believed.
Terry stocks a lot of Medici pieces, all of which I loved, particularly a three-piece in a taupe-to-mushroom chiffon skirt and a black top with taupe detail - elegant and very useful.
There was a red dress with a matching jacket overlaid with black lace by Decision that would make a lovely Christmas Party outfit and go on to be a staple in the wardrobe. Another must-have is a simple black dress with gathering to a gold clasp on one hip. Frank Usher is another label to be found in Rich Rags which is a classic.
As well as the above outfits there are some lovely separates - beautiful tops and both long skirts and trousers.
KATHERINE HALLY, in Cahir, can supply unique finishing touches to your party looks, as I believe she is the only Irish beautician trained to apply Advanced and Extreme False Eyelashes. These are put on individually, which takes a lot of skill - and training. You can contact her on 087 952 7952.
In the next Passion for Fashion I plan to cover Thurles, Tipp Town and Clonmel, though I think Clonmel may need a page all to itself. Party On!
|
