CAHIR NOTES CHELTENHAM IS GO! I was delighted to hear that Cahir Development Association’s Cheltenham Festival Fun has been given the go-ahead. There had been a question-mark over what I consider the most enjoyable fundraiser of the year, as several of the computer whiz-kids who work for the CDA will be absent on a course. However, someone has volunteered to do the hard work, for which everyone else is most grateful. I look forward to meeting Olivia before the action hots up. Maria Taylor and myself will be there taking down people’s bets and doing the post-race checks, while Olivia translates the info to the computer and updates the record at the end of each day’s racing. Sounds easy, but it’s not! Many thanks for volunteering, Olivia, and I am glad to hear you are “horsy” and looking forward to the buzz. Tickets are being printed as I write and will be available from the Business & Training Centre and members of the Management Committee of CDA. And I see no reason why ex-pats should not get involved - all we need is to see the colour of your money, at which point we will let you know your Ticket Number, which is needed when you send in your choices each day. The entry fee for the four days is €40, for which you get to pick a horse from each of the first four races on each day of the Festival. Your choices need to be in before 1pm daily, and can be telephoned or e-mailed to us. E-mail is reception@cahirda.com. Points are awarded to all those picking out the 1st, 2nd or 3rd in each race. The points winner each day gets €150, and at the end of the big week, the overall winner gets €1,000, 2nd wins €300 and the 3rd wins €200. If, for any reason, you aren’t able to let us have your choice, we allocate the favourite to you. Joe Walsh has once more given CDA the use of the shop-front next to the Lazy Bean, for which many thanks, and I will be in there from noon each day next week, starting on Tuesday, to get the place set up and to sell tickets. It’s a great spot to be in, as we all get the full benefit of the buzz that is created in ‘The Bean’ and around the town. The funds from this entertaining week will go, once more, towards the Christmas Lights. THANKS (BUT NO THANKS, UNFORTUNATELY)  I was horrified to find that I said absolutely not a word, last week, about the great work that Shelley O’Donnell, of Allure Hair & Beauty, did for the models at the Wedding Fayre Extravaganza last week. She gave each of “my” models a comb-out before they went onto the catwalk. The models were beautifully styled and Shelley made a great impression on them . And on those watching, I am sure, as she did this in the full glare of the spotlight, so that brides-to-be could watch and see what she can do. Many thanks to Shelley and to “Steve-the-Barber”. who owns Allure (which can be found In Castle Street). CAHIR FARMERS’ MARKET I hear from Stella Kenna that there is a new Coffee Stall at the Market, run by Brock, who hails from Australia, and his wife Claire. Brock is very knowledgeable on the art of coffee roasting and blending, so go along on Saturday between 9am and 1pm and talk coffee! His website is www.badgeranddodo.com. Best wishes to Catherine English with her new weather-proofed stall, which will show off her lovely selection of cheeses to full advantage. Stella also expressed her thanks to all their customers for their continued support. GENIUS TALK… “Smoking kills. If you’re killed, you’ve lost a very important part of your life”. (Brooke Shields during an interview to become spokesperson for the Federal anti-smoking campaign in the States). “I’ve never had major knee surgery on any other part of my body”. (Winston Bennett, University of Kentucky basketball forward). “Outside of the killings, Washington has one of the lowest crime rates in the country”. (Mayor Marion Barry, Washington DC). CARMEL SAYS THANKS Carmel Ryan would like to take this opportunity to thank all who supported her during her time in business. She will miss you all, as you were not only her clients, you became her friends. Thanks again, and best wishes. And best wishes to you, Carmel. Have a long and happy retirement. HOLY LAND - URGENT! If you want to join the 15-day pilgrimage to the Holy Land on Easter Sunday, you should contact Maureen Ahern now, as all airline tickets must be issued by early March. There will be a Christian guide throughout. The Spiritual Director is Fr John Egan, Pallottine Fathers, Thurles. The cost is €1,659 per person and a single room attracts an extra €299. En route, there will be an overnight stop in Istanbul. In the Holy Land, there will be 3 nights in Bethlehem; 4 nights in Galilee, 3 nights in the Old City of Jerusalem and the final 3 nights in Bethlehem. There will be time to relax at all three locations. Transport is available to and from Dublin Airport. Christians in the Holy Land now cherish the return of the pilgrims and need the support of pilgrimages. Make this your trip of a lifetime. To book, please telephone Maureen on 087 231 9639. DISAPPOINTING TURNOUT Cllr Andy Moloney said that the disappointing turnout for the Heritage Plan Meeting held in Cahir House Hotel on Thursday night should not dishearten people from continuing with plans to develop Cahir as a Heritage Town. Cllr Moloney, who had invited the Heritage Officer, Ms Labhaoise McKenna, to Cahir to launch the new draft Heritage Plan for South Tipperary, said that good ideas came from the meeting but a lot more people need to get involved. He also said that inclusion in the Plan would be a tool to draw down money from the various Grants that are available. We are always saying that we need more input from Council officials in Cahir, but we need to support them when they organise meetings. The Councillor says that Ms McKenna has taken on board the comments expressed at the meeting and has agreed to return on Wednesday 25th March for further discussions. We have all seen how the towns of Fethard and Cashel have benefited from Heritage Status and we need to get our piece of the cake. The Councillor also welcomed the extension of the Swiss Cottage Walk which is part of the ongoing developments that will enhance the town as a Brown Trout Fishing Centre of Excellence. A lot of work has been done in the past twelve months, but we still need to press on with our projects. MARIA TAYLOR HAS SENT IN THE FOLLOWING GAZA FUN CYCLE Would you like to take part in a Cycle to raise funds for Red Cross Medical Aid in Gaza? It is taking place on Saturday 7th March, starting in Clonmel and finishing in Mitchelstown. So, if you are interested in joining in for all or part of the route, contact Jodie on 085 151 3105, or log on to www.gazafuncycle.com. BOOK CLUB Do you like to read? If so, why not go along to the Snug in Cahir House Hotel on Wednesday 25th February at 8pm and pass an hour talking about your favourite books or authors? [Great idea - a Book Club is much needed here, and I hope this one takes off. MC] CAHIR & DISTRICT LIONS CLUB The Lions Club will be hosting their annual Dinner Theatre on Friday 6th March in Cahir House Hotel. The play is called ‘In Wild Earth’ and will be performed by the Fr Mathew Players from New Inn. Tickets are €30 and include a four-course meal plus the performance by these excellent players. They will be on sale from this Wednesday in the Hotel, so book early to avoid disappointment THANKS MARIA CAHIR PARK SOCCER CLUB GOING ONLINE! Cahir Park Soccer Club will be launching their new website in the next few weeks as a preamble to their Centennial year in 2010. The Club Officers are appealing for old photos about the Club down through the years, or any memorabilia, so that they may be put on display in what will be the new Clubhouse. The Club has a large number of events planned to take place all through next year, for all ages. Any pictures / memorabilia will be returned to the donors so start searching your attic for anything that might be of use to them. Thank you. KILCOMMON ROUNDABOUT Cllr Seanie Lonergan has had a positive response to his Motion, at last month’s Council Meeting, concerning the dangerous junction at Kilcommon, just outside Cahir. The County Council has agreed to do extensive work to make the road safer for motorists and pedestrians. The residents here live in fear of an impending tragedy. Cllr Lonergan said he would like to see this project brought to fruition as soon as possible. BEECHPARK Older residents in Beechpark have informed me of a growing problem relating to the actions of some of the children / teenagers from the estate. It seems they have been climbing the walls of the residents’ gardens and on occasion onto garden sheds too. This not only causes damage but puts themselves at risk too. It is also upsetting to the mostly retired, sometimes disabled people who live there. These incidents have been reported to the Gardai, who will be monitoring the situation, so please inform your children of the dangers, and also the fact that it is illegal. GET WELL SOON It seems there are quite a number of people from Cahir in hospital at the moment, so here’s a little “get well” message for Nuala Gorman, Jimmy Murphy, Martin Donovan and Billy Crosse, from all your families and friends. DUNESKE SPORTS  LEISURE CENTRE Children’s Birthday Parties. Do you feel like letting someone else do all the work for a change? With Duneske’s Birthday Parties, you get: Organised Fun Activities; Birthday Lunch with goodies to follow. They will organise and entertain the children, provide Party Bags when they go home and, if you like, they can provide a Bouncy Castle for the small extra fee of €30. Theme parties can be organised too. All you have to do is bring the Birthday Cake and the friendly staff will run the party and let you relax. A minimum of one week’s notice is required to make sure they can give you quality of service. Special Promotion. There is a special promotion on their Stand-Up Sunbeds at the moment, as clients are booking for the Communion and Confirmation celebrations. For 60 minutes you would usually pay €50, but from now until Easter the price has been reduced to €40 for the same time. For any enquiries, please call Duneske on 052 45517. €2 WORLD I’m sure that by now you have had a chance to pop into the new discount store on Castle Street. Congratulations and the very best of luck to Adrian and Margaret Cooney, who opened the shop on Monday 23rd February. It seems to me to be a very smart move, when we are in the midst of a recession. They stock everything from Kitchenware, Children’s Toys, Stationery, Cards, Baby Products, Car Care, Novelty Products and Healthcare, Cleaning and Beauty Products and lots more besides. I had a sneak preview last Friday and I was very impressed. CAHIR COUNTRY MARKET Don’t forget to go along to the Market on Friday mornings between 9 and 11am for all your homemade, handmade and home-grown produce. THANKS, MARIA. CAHIR DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY LOTTO The Jackpot total now stands at a very healthy €5,350 for the Draw this week. Tickets can be purchased from the Business & Training Centre up to noon on Wednesdays. Last week’s Draw was witnessed by Peter Fahey, and produced numbers 2, 10, 12 ;and 23. The five Lucky Dip winners were: E & J Vincent, Clonmore; Jack Moloney c/o Moloney’s Poulmucka; Brendan Burke, Galtee View; Mary Myles, Tubrid; Mary Martin, Woodlands, Ballydrehid. The profits from the Community Lotto service community projects in Cahir. CAHIR DIVE CLUB  The CDC’s Induction Night was held on 12th February at The Hill Bar, Cahir, by kind permission of the Management. People who took part in the Try-A-Dive came along to find out more about the Club and about diving itself, in both Ireland and abroad. Training will commence for all new members in late March. Diving got off to a great start this year. Already, Cahir Dive Club has been to the Muggarts Bay wreck on Sunday 15th and Sunday 22nd February. It is hoped that weather conditions will permit CDC to dive next Sunday too. Eleven members of the Club are looking for3ward to their upcoming diving holiday to Malta in March. Anyone interested will be able to view the pictures and a video piece on the holiday when the divers return by logging on to www.cahirdiveclub.com BAG PACK Many thanks to Dolan’s SuperValu and all contributors to our Bag Pack over the weekend qand to all the players and parents who took part. Well done to Briaqn, Michael and Ian, who managed to do two shifts each! Thanks guys, from Chris and Brendan. NEW EXHIBITION Christine Cook will be exhibiting her painting in the Craft Granary from 3rd to 27th March. She paints animals and flowers in acrylics and watercolours. In her paintings she is trying to capture the life of the subject matter, having a love of animals and the countryside. Christine took up painting in Cornwall in 1995 and moved to Ireland in 2002. UNDER 8s SOCCER A reminder for all parents of the visit to Clonmel Celtic on Saturday 28th (this Saturday). Kick Off is at 1:00pm so can parents be at Cahir Park car park to leave at 12:15? Cars may be needed to help transport children and they should be back in Cahir around 2:15. All players who turn up will get to play. Sean and Chris look forward to seeing you then. CAHIR CAMOGIE CLUB Wouldn’t you like to own a horse? Especially one that does not need to be fed or watered, or exercised, but will just sit quietly in the corner of the room and look lovely all the time. Well, now is your chance. For only €2 a ticket or €5 a strip, you would be in with a chance to win a lovely, cuddly, horse in the Club’s Raffle. Tickets will be on sale next Wednesday night at Indoor Camogie. On Sunday 1st March we will be holding a Cake Sale and Coffee Morning (and the Raffle for the horse) in the Parish Rooms, with lovely homemade cakes and goodies for sale. All support will be greatly appreciated. YOGA IN CAHIR After a week’s break, new Yoga Classes will begin again on Wednesday morning 4th March, 11am at the Duneske Leisure Centre. Thursday night’s classes will start again on 5th March at 7pm at Cahir House Spa. These are Drop-In Classes and are suitable for all levels. Mary is also offering two free places in her morning classes to anyone who may have lost their jobs recently. Contact Mary on 086 359 3024. [Great idea, Mary - congratulations! This will help relieve the stress. MC] CAHIR BINGO FOR CAHIR SCHOOLS €500 must be won on the Quickies on 3rd March! Tickets €1 or 6 for €5. All the proceeds from this Bingo go towards both the Cahir Primary Schools. The Lucky Number last night won €370. Also, there will be the usual First Tuesday Cash Raffle.  Your support is appreciated and all are welcome in the Community Hall every Tuesday at 8:30 sharp. CAHIR ACTIVE RETIREMENT ASSOCIATION The results of last week’s card game are as follows: 1st, with 14 games - Mary Whelan / Billy Tarrant; 2nd, with 10 games - Rena O’Connor / Breeda Ryan, Bridget Condon / Mary English. The Lucky Table was won by Ted Dillon, Rupert Quiry, Josie Quinlan, Joe Ahern, and the Raffle by Peg Reidy / Mary Fitzgerald. The Members’ monthly meeting takes place in the Catherine McAuley Room on 18th February at 2:30 promptly. Final arrangements will be made for the holiday in Spain. All the details regarding travel arrangements will be discussed then.