Local Notes 23rd April 2009

BRIDGE CLUB RESULTS
FIRST prize: Sean Hanratty, Ann Roche; 2nd Care Hanratty, Kay Cussen; 3rd Margaret Hennessy, Beda Gleeson; 4th Ann Dunne, Richard Langford; 5th Kay Clarkin, Joe Dunleavy; 6th Noel Fitzgibbon, Birdie Duggan.
WELL DONE
Best wishes to Keith Harnett, Castlematrix, who captained Pike Rovers versus Fairview in the final of the Tuohy Cup, in Jackman Park, Limerick on Tuesday last. Pike Rovers won 2 – 1. Well done Keith.
NEIGHBOURHOOD WATCH
A meeting with the intention of forming a neighbourhood watch committee will be held in Rathkeale House Hotel on Tuesday, April 21, at 8pm.
This is of interest to everyone in the parish, so everyone is urged to attend. A member of the Gardai will be invited to attend and give details and support. Anyone going for election to the County Council is also invited as are our Dail Deputies. This meeting is a long time coming, so come along on the night.
DEFIBRILLATOR
Nice to hear that Rathkeale AFC are about to purchase a defibrillator and have personnel trained in the operation of it. That make two so far, the GAA and the soccer club. We need at least four more in Rathkeale. It is essential to have at least six in total, with trained personnel.
CARDS
First prize, Sean McElligott; Christy Lynch, Willie Keating; John Mulvihill, Peg Mulvihill; Betty Fitzgerald, Teresa O’Shaughnessy.
Table prizes: Betty Fitzgerald, Teresa O’Shaughnessy; Christy Lynch, Willie Keating.
Raffle: €40 Betty Kerins; €20 Eileen Griffin; €10 Sean McElligott; €10 Martha Neville. Easter eggs: Michael Kerins, Mail Wall, Vinnie Wrenn.
YOUNG PRIESTS SOCIETY
The monthly meeting of St. Josephs Young Priests Society will be held in St. Anne’s Convent on Thursday, April 16 at 8pm. New members are always welcome.
TROCAIRE BOXES
The Bishops of Ireland have made an unprecedented call to the public, urging them to return their Trocaire boxes to their local church on Sunday, April 19, to make an end to the agency’s Lenten campaign. This initiative by the Bishops, is a recognition by the church of the increased vulnerability of the world’s poorest people given the global economic crisis.
ATHLETICS
Training now switches to St Mary’s Park every Thursday evening at the usual time of 6.20pm to 7.20pm, and also of course on Sunday morning. We are very grateful to Rathkeale Soccer club for the use of their wonderful floodlight training facility on the Astroturf, we were a little wary of training on a synthetic surface for indoor sprints but judging by the really good performances of all our young athletes at the Munster indoor championships and recently at the nationals in Magherafelt we need not have worried. We will be back training there again in October. Our next competition is just over one week away with the Limerick Community games cross country finals on Sunday, April 26, which will once again be held in Mick Neville Park, Rathkeale. All of our athletes that are attending training have been entered and we need them all in attendance on the day to make up the teams, athletes to be at the venue at 12 o’clock. After that it is our county T&F championships in UL on Sunday, May 10, this is from U-9 upwards and will of course involve sprints, middle distance (not too long), ball throw, long jump, shot and relays (for every age group).
On behalf of St. Mary’s athletic club I would like to congratulate all the boys and girls from the parish who won medals and certificates recently at the county and Munster finals of Community games, well done to all and to the team managers.
Church gate collection on behalf of St. Mary’s Athletic Club. I would like to thank everyone that supported us in our church gate collection last weekend, it was greatly appreciated.
BEST WISHES
Best wishes to Tom O’Keeffe, Rosemount, whose family and friends surprised him with a party for his 70th birthday in O’Sullivan’s bar recently.
To Dennis Kenneally and dance partner Phyllis Fyfe who came second in the open waltzing competition in Clonmel recently.To Tom Nestor who is launching his book in Newcastle west at 3pm, next Saturday, April 18. For more information contact 069 66456 or 087 8312570.
DUMPING
The Wheely bin at Our Lady’s Shrine, Church Street is there for the purpose of putting withered flowers into. It is not there for the dumping of domestic waste. Would the people who dump domestic waste in the bin or indeed at the rear of the shrine please refrain from doing so.