CAHIR NOTES WHAT’S ON AT DUNESKE? It’s getting closer to those all-important Christmas parties, as well as the festive shopping, where fitness and stamina play such a big part, so make things easier on yourself this year by joining in up at Duneske. There, they have a wide range of classes to choose from plus a state of the art gymnasium, where the trained staff can help you along the way. If you want to make a difference to someone else’s life this Christmas or New Year, why don’t you pick up a Voucher and give a loved one the present of a healthier lifestyle. Birthday Party bookings are so popular that they now require 2 weeks’ notice. Places are very limited so please book early to avoid disappointment. For all your fitness and leisure needs, please contact Duneske on 052 45517, EUROSTAR COMPETITION FINAL All the proceeds from this exceptionally entertaining and successful fundraiser are going to Cahir Meals on Wheels.  And what a success it has been! The Final took place on Saturday 17th November in The Hill Inn. Joanne Barrett came first, with Eoin Casey second and Tom Meehan in third place. A wonderful night was had by all, with some outstanding performances and great fun. All the prizes were presented by Mattie McGrathTD and Tom and Marie Carroll were also presented with lovely pieces of crystal for hosting the very popular event. Tom and Kathleen Meehan and Pauline and Micheal Tierney sponsored the Tipperary Crystal prizes. There was a fantastic array of Spot Prizes on all three nights of the competition, for which many thanks go to all the sponsors, who are too numerous to name individually. Thanks also to Pablo for providing the music during the competition, to Paul Sutherland and Paudie Roche, who were wonderful comperes, and to everyone who supported this very worthwhile cause.  I understand that the total amount raised was in the region of €2,200. Tom and Marie Carroll would like to thank all the participants for their support, as without them, nights like these simply do not succeed. COMMUNITY HALL I understand that the Hall is being left very untidy by some groups, and would appeal to everyone to see that they leave the place as they find it. NIRE CRAFT GROUP EXHIBITION The Nire Craft Group exhibition of patchwork quilts was officially opened by Nicholas Mosse at the Craft Granary in Cahir on Thursday 8th November. He gave a very interesting talk, using a pair of antique quilts from his family's collection and a traditional hand thrown and decorated pot, as props, to demonstrate comparisons between the two crafts. A big thanks  to Nick for taking the time and trouble to come, and for being so entertaining. We would also like to thank the Traas' Apple Farm for donating apple juice and the Wine Buff for providing the wine and glasses.  Unfortunately it was not possible to exhibit every piece produced by the group over the years, due to lack of space. We apologise for not including all of everyone's work, but we hope that we have managed to show a representative selection to include everyone, and the quilts to their best advantage. Most of the quilts are for sale and would make a wonderful Christmas present for someone special. If there is nothing that takes your fancy, commissions can be taken. Contact can be made through the Craft Granary during the exhibition. We wish Josephine Halpin, a valued member of the group, a speedy recovery. We all missed her very much on the night. Get well soon! The exhibition runs until Thursday 29th November. The Craft Granary opening times are 10.30am to 6pm (Mon- Fri) and 9am to 5pm on Saturdays.                                                                      Photo from left to right; back row- Win Colligan,Eileen McGrath,Catherine Starling,Nora Whelan,Ellen Kelly,Doris Reinisch,Nicholas Mosse,and Anne Wall; front row- Eileen McCarthy,Mary Crotty,and Mary Walsh.     CAHIR CAMOGIE NOTES The first rounds of the indoor tournament will get under way next Wednesday night, with the following four teams taking part. First of all we have Roisin's Rascals with their captain Roisin McCarthy and her team of Eileen Flannery, Emma Quirke, Andrea O' Donnell, and Ciara O' Neill. Emma's Angels will be captained by Emma O' Donnell and her Angels will be Shauna Burke, Orla Cashman, Sarah Burke and Tori Downey. Then we have Niamh's Knights with captain Niamh Murphy and her band of soilders namely, Lauren Noonan, Rachel O' Donnell, Sophie Sheehan and Lauren Murphy. Finally we have Dervla's Divas with Dervla Buckley as captain and her very capable team of Jessica Coffey, Emily O' Donovan, Katie Noonan and Rebeka O' Dwyer. These are very evenly matched teams and we hope to have plenty of excitement over the next few weeks while the games are taking place. CAHIR & DISTRICT LIONS CLUB At the recent Church Gate collection organised by the Lions, €845 was donated, and I have been asked to thank all those who helped and all who donated so generously. There will be a weekend of fundraising at Dolan’s SuperValu on Friday 30th November and Saturday 1st December. The Dolans have donated a Hamper worth €100 which will be raffled over this weekend. If anyone has time to lend a hand, even if only for an hour on one day, please ring Jackie Mullins on 052 45658. CONGRATULATIONS … to Kay for the terrifically Christmassy window display at €urosavers. It really lifts the heart. Kay has all sorts of ideas for gifts and stocks cards, household and gardening products and plants. SHAMROCK LOUNGE Cards are played here every Tuesday night, for turkeys, hams and money. The O’Donoghues are raffling a lovely Hamper at €2 a line, in aid of Cahir Meals on Wheels, so do drop in and sign up. POULMUCKA SPORTS & LEISURE CLUB You are welcome to take part in their organised walk at Emigrant’s Rest, Old Bridge, Clonmel.  There is plenty of parking on the Raheen Road. This walk is suitable for adults and children and will take approximately three hours. It will be a day for family and friends to meet, and there will be music and craic at 4pm in Poulmucka. For further information please contact Margaret Delahunts on 052 43512. CAHIR FLOWER & GARDEN CLUB The monthly meeting will be held in Cahir House Hotel on Wednesday 28th November at 8pm.  There will be a Demonstration of Christmas Arrangements by Sarah of Sarah’s Flower Studio in Cahir. The Club Competitions are as follows:  Beginners – Christmas Greetings (swag);  Intermediate – Christmas Celebration for a Dining Table (45cm / 18”);  Advanced – Christmas Cheer (80cm / 30”). At this meeting, dinner arrangements for the new year in Inch House are to be finalised, so names and deposits will be collected. ORGANIC WINE I sampled a bottle of organic Pinot d’Alsace, “Auxerrois” 2004, from Jim at the Farmers’ Market, over the weekend.  This is a light, slightly sweet wine that goes well with cheese and fruit – and hummus, oddly enough. I sampled it first at room temperature, which was OK but not overwhelming, but when chilled I enjoyed it a lot. I think it would also go down well with the Christmas pud. CAHIR ACTIVE RETIREMENT ASSOCIATION The results of the 25 Card Game held on Friday 16th November are as follows: 1st, with 11 games – Mary & Elle Whelan, Peg Reidy & Kitty Slattery. The Lucky Table – Lexie Sheehan and Teddy Dillon, Michael Phelan & Ann Hanrahan.  The Raffle was won by Tom McGrath and Lexie Sheehan. The next game takes place this Friday, 23rd November, and all are welcome, as always. NEW EDITION BEING PUBLISHED A Paperback edition of David Butler’s acclaimed book “South Tipperary, 1570 – 1841, will be launched on Friday 23rd November in the Main Guard in Clonmel, at 8pm. The book will be officially launched by Dr Ruan O’Donnell, Department of History, University of Limerick. David’s magnum opus was named the 2005 Tipperariana Book of the Year and received notable reviews from all quarters. The Paperback will retail at €27.50. DUHILL DRAMATIC SOCIETY This very active group is putting on their latest production, John B Keane’s The Field, on Thursday 29th, Friday 30th November and Saturday 1st December.  For tickets, please contact 086 360 9622. POULMUCKA PLOUGHING ASSOCIATION The Association held its Annual Ploughing Match on Saturday 3rd November on the lands of Marie and Larry Bergin. A large number of competitors, both local and from various counties, took part. Competition was keen and a good standard of ploughing was achieved by all. The Association wishes to express many thanks to Resegreen Hall Committee for the use of the Hall, and to Ballingeary ICA for providing refreshments on the field and in the Hall. A number of visiting ploughmen, who stayed overnight, adjourned to Moloney’s Bar (where else?) in Poulmucka, and enjoyed a chat with friends and neighbours. The next day they travelled to take part at the Dualla Ploughing Match. Both days enjoyed glorious sunshine, which helped to make the events very pleasant occasions. The Annual General meeting of the Association will take place on Wednesday 5th December in Poulmucka. CAHIR RIVER RESCUE UNIT The AGM of this Group will be held at the Shamrock Lounge on Wednesday 28th November at 9pm. All are welcome. “LOCAL LANDSCAPES OF SOUTH TIPP” This is the title of an exhibition of textiles by local artist, and winner of the South Tipperary Per Cent for Art Scheme, Lorraine O’Connor. The opening night is on Tuesday 4rh December, and the exhibition will run until 23rd December at the Craft Granary.  On 23rd there will be a Cheese and Wine Reception, and all are welcome. Also displayed will be Craft Granary products such as beautiful wedding veils, silk cushions, table runners, evening shawls and evening bags designed by Maura Dunne. CAHIR DIVE CLUB Following another successful AGM on Thursday 8th November, the Club members are looking forward to another eventful year of diving, both here and abroad. To start on Sunday, five divers (Garry, John R, Mary, Tess and Ciara) were taken another step closer to becoming qualified sports divers. The diving conditions for this training session, down in Helvick, couldn’t have been better for this time of year. On the journey from the pier to Mine Head, all eyes were peeled for a glimpse of the school of dolphins which had been spotted on the second dive the previous Sunday. Before they had exited the boat by Mine Head to start the first part of the session, they were greeted by a curious seal, which quickly disappeared, probably to catch his dinner amongst the numerous types of fish in the vicinity that day. In the crystal clear waters, with so many fish brushing off us, it was hard to concentrate on the skills being demonstrated and then assed by Mick, Johnny, John C and Maurice. Many thanks are expressed to Catriona, their boat driver for the day, who waited patiently on the surface. The next Committee Meeting will take place on Thursday 22nd November at 9pm in The Hill Bar. INTERESTING WEBSITE I have been given the address of a website that takes the viewer into the Piazza del Pantheon in Rome, live, and if all the others viewing and the same time allow, you can move around and change the viewpoint. The address is www.albergodelsenato.it/webcam.html. When you get there, just click on the picture and you will go live.  Enjoy! CAHIR DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY LOTTO The total going on to the Jackpot this week is €4,450, and tickets can be purchased for this draw up to noon on Wednesday from the Business & Training Centre. Last week, the draw was witnessed by Peter Fahey and produced numbers 9, 19, 21 and 23. The five Lucky Dip winners were John Sheehan, The Square; Noreen Kennedy, Raheen;  Andrew O’Donnell, Knockagh; Walter McDonagh, Mountain Road and Joe Kinane, Mountain Road. READERS’ NEWS & VIEWS I am always please to hear from readers, either at 10 Market Yard or on 086 840 5020, and of course at the e-mail address above. Information should be with me by Monday morning at the latest.