CAHIR NOTES YOUR INVITATION … to the Meeting  being held on Wednesday 30th January at 7:30pm in the upstairs room at The Shamrock Lounge. It is hoped to identify what can be done in Cahir and who can do it. The Council,  Grangemore Plants and Cahir Development have rowed in together in a unique grouping to improve many of the physical aspects of Cahir.  Perhaps, if you answer any of the following questions in the affirmative, you will come along to the meeting? Do you like being outdoors? Do you like gardening or painting? Do you want to meet new people? Do you have ideas about how your estate, your street, your school and your town could be enhanced? All are welcome, so why not ask your family neighbours and friends to come too? CAHIR FARMERS’ MARKET The Market has been back for three Saturdays since the start of the New Year. This week, 2nd February is the first Market of Spring ‘08. For those of you yet to try out the Market, why not go along this weekend and let them put a spring in your step with delicious, local, farm-fresh produce.  Many celebrity chefs promote Farmers’ Markets as ideal places to shop. Neven Maguire, in his recent book, is quoted as saying that he “loves to take a stroll around A farmers’ Market to look at the great local produce and to remind himself of the huge benefits of eating in season. As far as I’m concerned, it’s time to get back to seasonal eating; it makes sense to eat light summery salads and vegetables in the Summer and earthy root veg during the Winter”. So go along on Saturday and see what is on offer:  bread; cakes; cookies; bacon; fish; veg; cheese; juices; organic meat; paté and potatoes.  You will also find organic wine, homemade jams, honeys, chutneys and so on the stalls. DO YOU LOVE TO SING? If you do, get involved. In recent years Cahir has practically doubled in size. New housing estates have been built, bring many new families to the town. Established estates are settled in by now and the Celtic Tiger is calming down, so now is the time to work at a better sense of community in Cahir. If you want to get to know people, or just to get out for an hour or so, join the Choral Society.  This Society is totally amateur - no joining fee; no audition; no competitions; no knowledge of music necessary, just a love of singing. If you can sing in the bath, you sing in the Choral! We sing for fun; raise lots of money for charities each year; develop a good singing technique painlessly; learn and perform beautiful music; and enjoy a lovely social outlet without any pressure in the process. We have members from Cahir, Clonmel, Cashel, Rosegreen, Clogheen, Ardfinnan, Burncourt, Skiheenarinka and Tipperary, and are looking for more singers. We meet in New Haven every Friday at 8pm, restarting this Friday1st February. If you want more information, you can phone our Musical Director, Maureen Ahern, on 087 231 9639. Choral Members - see you all on Friday at 8pm Past Members - please come back - you have been  missed New Members - a ‘cead mile failte’ to you People new to the area - come and join now - we are a very happy bunch, who sing to relax. Open to all age groups, we have members as you as six years of age and men and women ranging from 16 up to the age of 80 years young. We will begin the revision of our favourites with the Hallelujah Chorus on Friday night. All our past singers are needed for this one, which only sounds well when sung by a big choir! A big concert is planned for this April and work on the repertoire will begin on the first night back. Spring has sprung, so let’s all sing. Don’t hesitate, join now! NO SEX DISCRIMINATION HERE I have had one or two comments about the bias towards women in most of the jokes I include on this page. Sorry guys - didn’t mean to offend. To redress the balance: I was married by a Judge. I should have asked for a jury.  Groucho Marx My wife has a slight impediment in her speech. Every now and then she stops to breathe.  Jimmy Durante. CAHIR LADIES’ CLUB Ladies, the Club is back in action. On Monday 4th February they are on their 6th week in Duneske at 8 pm, finished their course of Salsa Aerobics and Gym.  They have all enjoyed the course and, hopefully, will do another one soon. Thanks to Amanda and all the staff. The ladies are back in the Hall after the Salsa Aerobics, and also for their usual fortnightly meeting. There is lots in store for you, such as a night at the dogs, and an Easter Meal. All the ladies would like to wish Ann O’Connell a speedy recovery. Any ladies who have not attended, do return and join in the fun. POULMUCKA  PLOUGHING ASSOCIATION As the Ploughing Season for 2008 begins, Poulmucka Ploughing is holding a Novice Ploughing Competition on the lands of Noel O’Connell, Ratheamer, Cashel on Sunday 8th February starting at 1pm. Enquiries should be made to the Secretary, Sean Hickey on 052 22105. The Annual Dinner Dance will take place on Saturday 2nd February in the Clonmel Park Hotel. Tickets are available from any Committee Member;  Spots galore; an enjoyable night is assured. THE NEXT STEPS Cllr Andy Moloney has welcomed the decision by the Director of Services, Sinead Carr, to organise a meeting of the Cahir Area Members to discuss plant for the Town, in the wake of the new motorway opening last October.  Ms Carr and Mr Paul Mulcahy, Area Engineer, had been forthcoming in promoting the recent   Landscaping Plan for the Town, along with Cahir Development and Grangemore Plants.  They now want to bring the town of Cahir up the next step and with the co-operation of the  Area Members and representatives of various Groups, they would hope to draft plans that will help Cahir to become a more attractive venue for Tourism and Business than ever before. Cllr Moloney says that Rome was not build in a day, but Cahir has been improving over the years.  The Council and Cahir Development, under successive Committees, have been drawing down Grants for many projects and the influence of the Council at this time would be more than welcome. Andy states that Cahir has many more assets than other areas but we have to raise the bar and work with the Local Authority to achieve the status that we deserve. He has also called  for an assessment of the overall lighting situation in the Town and along the Mall, especially where lamps have been vandalised. The signage on the approach roads also need attention.  He feels that the positive reaction from the Authority looks promising for the future. The meeting in the Shamrock Lounge on 30th January at 7:30 would be a good place to start to make Cahir a better place to live, work and visit. CAHIR DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY LOTTO The Jackpot stands at €1,600 for the Draw this week, there having been no-one with last week’s numbers:  4, 6, 16, 22, witnessed by Joan Loughman.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   The five Lucky Dip winners, each of whom has received €30, were: John O’Brien, Tipperary Road; Willia Delahunty, Loughloher; Caroline Hyland, Ardfinnan Road; Breda Gallagher, Beeckpark; and M & G O’Brien, c/o Petanque, all in Cahir.  All the profits from the Community Lotto go to the Duneske Leisure Complex. KNOCKGRAFFON OPEN COURSING CLUB The Paddy O’Dwyer Memorial Stake, presented and sponsored by John O’Dwyer, Ballyclerihan, in memory of his father, the late Paddy O’Dwyer, fro 8 dogs, was won by Shocking Rose,, owned by Seamus Quirke. The runner-up was Specific Detail, owned by Davy Graham. The Dan Fortune Cup, presented by sponsored by Mrs Pat Fortune and family, Ballyclerihan. In memory of her husband, the late Dan Fortune, is for Nominators of the Paddy O’Dwyer Stake and was won by Jimmy & Peg Kelly and Sean Morrissey. The runner-up was owned by Donal and Alan Moloney and James Heffernan.  Tom O’Dwyer of Cashel sponsored the junior nominators. These trophies bring the curtain down on a very successful season for the Club. The Club wishes James & Maria Morrissey of Cahir, success in the Hotel Minella Oaks and all Local Owners participating in Powerstown. The Club appreciates the co-operation and assistance of numerous people during the season, especially the Landowners; the Greyhound Owners; the very loyal and generous Sponsors; the Judges and Slippers; the Beaters whose dedication and enthusiasm was an inspiration all season.  They are also deeply grateful to the local community for providing car parking, transport and sandwiches for their Annual Open Day. They also thank the Editor and Staff of the Nationalist, South Tipp Today and the Sporting Press for publicity. Their co-operation played a big part in the season’s success.  Lastly, they thank the neighbouring Coursing Clubs for their participation in the Inter-Club Stake and we wish Clonmel and District and Fedamore and District Open Coursing Clubs success with their forthcoming meetings. The Club extends sympathy to the families bereaved during the year and to the brothers and sisters of the late Denis O’Donnell, Donegal; and to the husband, sister, aunts and uncles of the late Fiona O’Doherty, Kilsheelan, who died recently. Ar Dheis De go rabh a n-anamacha go leir. CAHIR BOYS’ J.S. EXCELS At the recent Credit Union Quiz for Junior Schools in the Cahir Electoral Area, Cahir Boys B team was First, and Cahir Boys A team was Second in their groups.  Well done guys! WEDDING FAYRE The plans for the Annual Wedding Fayre in Cahir House Hotel, which will take place on 17th February, are now being fine-tuned.  There will be lovely Stalls and a Bridal Fashion Show that is intended to be very slick and professional, which will take place at 4:30pm. Definitely a ‘must see’ for all those who are planning to tie the knot. CAHIR DIVE CLUB Last Saturday and Sunday saw Cahir Dive Club members head for Cork to join up with South Coast Divers and Southern Divers for a jam-packed training weekend. Specialist Trainers from BSAC travelled from Northern Ireland and the UK to share their specialist knowledge on Compressor Operations & Gas Blending; Oxygen Administration and the use of Automated External Defibrillators and Instructor Preparation. There was a huge attendance from all three Clubs, which provided a great opportune ity to share information, not just on the topics covered but also on local dive sites worth visiting and areas around the country that have some fantastic dive sites. This gave the Club plenty to look forward to after their trip to the Red Sea in March.But they are not just about training - they also go DIVING. To experience this fantastic new hobby for yourself, why not go to their TRY A DIVE NIGHT this coming Sunday, 3rd February, in Clonmel Swimming Pool at 8pm. Admission is only €10, so go and find out more about the Club, the training they offer, their weekend trips away, their upcoming adventure to the Red Sea and much more! For further details you can contact John on 086 330 2425. And don’t forget, if you can come up with a name for their new boat (the 6.7M Excalibur Rib currently being built by Gale Force Venture in Cork), e-mail your suggestions to cahirdiveclub@gmail.com and the winner will have the privilege of a free Try A Dive on Sunday.  Not much time left, so get your imagination to work. DINNER THEATRE Back by public demand is the Dinner Theatre at Cahir House Hotel, organised by the Cahir and District Lions Club. The date for the Fr Matthew Players’ production of “Them” is Saturday 8th March. Don’t delay in getting your tickets for too long, as they are in great demand. CAHIR ACTIVE RETIREMENT ASSOCIATION The results of the Card Game held on Friday 25th January are as follows: 1st, with 12 games - Breda Ryan and Rena O’Connor;  2nd with 11 games - Mary E Fitzgerald and John O’Connor. The Lucky Table winners were: David White & Willia O’Neill;  Kieran O’Brien and Red Burke. Winners of the Raffle were:  Margaret Quinlan and Tom Morrissey. The next game takes place this Friday, 1st February, and of course all are welcome. The Monthly Meeting of the Association  will be held on Wednesday 6th February at 2:30pm. There will be a Guest Speaker and Refreshments will be served.  Please note that Membership Subscriptions are now due.. Colaiste Dun Iascaigh Transition Year News Radio Programme On Thursday 20th December in school, the students produced their own Radio Programme for Tipp Mid West Radio.  The students wish to thank Mr. Martin Quinn for his instructions & Guidance.  The programme went out on air on Christmas Eve at midday.  Sarah Keating presented the programme, which covered topics such as bullying, dieting, new regulations in relation to the provisional driving licence and Christmas in Poland including a Polish poem.  Sarah Keating and Ciara Cunningham sung Christmas Carols at the intervals.  The students wish to thank their guests Mr. Christopher Douglas, Driving Instructor, Clonmel and Mr. Tommy O’Donnell, Rugby player and past student of the school. First Aid TY students have begun their first Aid Course recently.  They are being instructed by Eddie Cooney from Civil Defence, Clonmel.  The students will sit an exam at the end of the programme and if successful receive a First Aid Certificate valid for 3 years. Care of the Elderly & Senior Citizens Party TY students continue to be involved in Care of the Elderly by visiting Cahir Day Care Centre two days per week On Friday 18th January the class were involved in preparing, organising and helping with the Senior Citizens Christmas party held in Cahir House Hotel.  The Senior Citizens were welcomed by Erin Grant, Kamil Darczuk & Jan Luft.  Guest speakers were introduced by Paul Bray.  The party was attended by Minister of State for Older People, Ms. Maureen Hoctor. Work Experience TY students will be involved in Work Experience for 2 weeks from Monday 25th February to Friday 7th March.  We wish to thank all our local employers for allowing our students this opportunity. RTE Jason O’Sullivan and John O’Reilly will have an extra week of work experience in RTE.  Their placement will be in the Television Studio Building, Dublin 4.  We wish them well Colaiste Dun Iascaigh Notes Cahir Ladies Football 15/01/2008 Cahir v Coachford Munster Intermediate C Colaiste Dun Iascaigh progressed to the Munster Intermediate C Final after accounting for Coachford on a scoreline of 3 – 06 to 0-04.  Though the scoreline would suggest otherwise this was a tough, competitive match with the result very much in doubt until the end.  Colaiste were convincing winners in the first half despite the heavy conditions and lead at the interval by 1-05 to 0-02.  Rachel Doyle scoring the first of her hat trick twenty minutes into the game.  This coupled with Olivia McCarthy’s free taking kept Coachford at bay. On the resumption Coachford threw everything bar the kitchen sink at the Colaiste.  The full back line of Sarah Fahy, Nicola Armitage and Lisa Dillon performed admirably.  Coachford had several goal chances and only some last ditch defending ensured a clean sheet.  Outfield Michelle Walsh, Samantha Lambert, Eimear Myles and Rachel Doyle posed headaches for their opponents.  Only with Doyle’s two goals in the last ten minutes was the game finally put beyond Coachford’s reach.  Tem coach Keith Morrissey said, “despite a good first half performance our second half one shows that we have certain areas to work on.  But the girls will be ready for the final which takes place in Cahir”. Colaiste await the winners of Nagle Rice / Colaiste Daibhéid. Team: Niamh Myles, Sarah Fahy, Nicola Armitage, Lisa Dillon, Jackie Heffernan, Michelle Walsh, Shauna Walsh, Ellen Ryan, Olivia McCarthy, Aisling Condon, Eimear Myles, Samantha Lambert, Rachel Doyle, Claire O’Dwyer, Leanne Hickey, Clara Doheny, Riona Grant, Emma Tobin READERS’ NEWS & VIEWS As regulars are well aware, information is very welcome at 10 Market Yard / 086 840 5020 and at the e-mail address above.  I do sincerely appeal to people either typing or e-mailing messages to me to use a larger type-face than  the usual size 9, as my poor old eyes really can’t cope! It IS possible to change the size, and if you can’t figure out how, ask a friendly expert - I suggest your child or grand-child.